He's back
by MadeByRF
Summary: Sequel to Mr. Smith. One month has passed since the camping trip. Smith still hasn't given up on Bella, and Alice is determined on making Edward and Bella go out. But what if Smith isn't the worst problem in Forks right now? Human, slightly OCC. R&R.
1. The beginning

**WARNING: This is a sequel to my other fan fiction, Mr. Smith. Do ****Not**** read this if you haven't read Mr. Smith!**

**Chapter 1: The beginning**

**BPOV**

I told Charlie goodbye as I walked outside to my car. Last month's happening was something that none of us really had told him. You know; Me, having a vampire stalker who almost made you die, and that your best friends… kind of… well "friend" is a werewolf: The usual. That was something I hadn't told anyone actually… But there was this stupid, _really_ embarrassing rumor going around school that Edward and I was going out. Sure, I liked him, but we…he- I don't know what to think…

I stepped into the car and started it, the roar of its awaking almost scaring me to death as I was lost in thoughts. I began to drive towards school in my usual, rather slow phase.

Charlie was a little freaked –Okay freaked was an understatement… He was worried sick when he visited me; his face had lost all its color, except the small faint purple color in it. Smith had made him I visit I understood later on. Before the camping trip, he only knew the Cullen's as the 'new' family. But now, when he occasionally talked about him, or at all for that matter, he just talked nice about them and like they had known each other for years –which they had. He had erased his memories about the Cullen's and Alaska as well, but now they were back, which I appreciated.

I parked the car and turned off the engine. The other students were starting to fill the lot, and I stepped out of the car. The rain was drizzling down slowly from the sky, and I sighed as I began to move towards the building. But suddenly, someone put their arm around my shoulder and squeezed her closer to him/herself. Startled by the sudden move, I looked up, and was suddenly drowning in a pair of deep green, never ending emerald eyes. He was smiling his crooked smile at me, and tugged me forward; I had stopped walking, and I was sure I was staring at him stupidly. I blushed, and began to walk forward by myself, and he dropped his arm from my shoulder.

"Hi." He greeted me as we walked.

"Hi. Why are you always doing that??" I asked. He frowned confused and I slightly smiled at his puzzled face, but I saw that under the mask of confusion, there was also some sadness.

"What I meant was; why do you always pop out of nowhere? I never see or hear you coming and you always have me pee my pants off in surprise." I said, and by those words, he was laughing.

"Well, maybe you should be more observant. It's not my fault that you are so observant and lost in thoughts that you pee yourself. Get a diaper." He said sarcastically and grinned. I playfully punched him on his arm and walked inside the building, happy to get out of the rain. Once inside, I saw some other students. Some of them spotted us, and as they did, you could see how they turned around and began to whisper to each other. I never understood the fun with gossip. But apparently, the rest of the students, boy or girl, did. As we walked to our lockers, talking to each other about everything and nothing, you could see the sudden hunger of gossip in the other's faces. It felt like if we walked around the corner, the whole hall would be drowned in gossip.

_Get yourself together Bella; you're not the center of the universe. They're probably just looking at Edward, not you._ The voice back in my head told me, and I had to admit, it was sounding more convincing than I did right now.

"Bella??" Edward suddenly asked, and I looked behind me, my gaze following the sound of his voice. He was standing by his locker, several meters behind me, and an amused smile was painted on his lips. Embarrassed, I blushed deeply and began to walk back to my locker, not far away from his.

I opened the locker and took out my books. My first class of today was math. I mentally sighed and looked up at Edward. It wasn't until then I noticed he was staring at me, observing me.

"What is it??" I asked him, feeling self-conscious.

"I could ask you the same question. What's the matter with you? You're all nervous. Do you have a test you haven't studied for or something? Are you sick? Please tell me." he begged me, looking at me worriedly. Even after a month, this thing was still bothering me. If I told him, Smith would kill me. If I didn't if would kill Edward. He knows when I lie; I'm terrible at it after all, and it would hurt his feelings if I don't tell him. But I don't feel that suicidal today, not really. He already knows about the 'He's-a-stalker-and-he-loves-her' thing…

"Well…It's nothing really," I lied and smiled. "I'm just a little tired and have a lot on my mind, that's all." He looked at me, not believe a word I was saying, but let it go.

"Alright, I'll see you at lunch." He said, patted my head like I was a little toddler and walked away towards the direction of his class.

"Hey!" I called after him, but he just laughed and waved to me without turning around. I sighed and took my math books and walked into the other direction towards Mr. Smith's classroom.

Inside, I saw how Mike eagerly waved me over to him. I sighed and walked over to him, in reality just wanting to run into the opposite direction as long as possible.

"What is it Mike??" I asked him in a sour tone and looked at him skeptically. He was looking like the rest of the other students, even I could see that. He wanted gossip right now.

"Is it true that you and Edward Cullen are dating??" he asked, and as soon as the words were out, I began to walk away, ignoring his complains behind me. I sat down in my seat, and luckily, Mr. Smith entered the classroom. Everyone who had him as their teacher knew that once he was in the classroom, you better shut your pie-hole, and do it quick. He walked over to his desk and looked out –No, glaring would actually suit better. He glared at the class from his desk, and then silently wrote the pages we we're supposed to work on in the lesson. Ever since the camping trip, he has ignored me. Ever since then, he hasn't talked to me. In class, he has ignored me, not even looking at me once. I can't really say that I'm happy _or_ sad about that. Of course I'm happy that he hasn't gone all lovey-dovey with me, but he's _still here_. That means that he still has things here to do, and that means that he hasn't given up. Not yet.

Math passed slowly, the classroom absolutely quiet except the clock that ticked incredibly slowly. But at last, the bell ran and all students rushed out of the classroom, even I. But just before I was out of the door, a voice called my name.

"Miss Swan, please stay for a minute, I have to have a word with you." Smith called quietly from his desk, but loud enough for all the students to turn and look. I sighed and turned back to his desk. He told me to wait and shoved the rest of the students out of the classroom. He shut the door and walked back to me.

"Stacy, I-"he began, but as always, I interrupted him.

"Don't. Call. Me. Stacy." I said through my gritted teeth and glared at him. He sighed, why I don't understand, and began to talk again.

"_Bella_. I'm sorry for all I did, but can't you consider forgiving me??" he begged and looked at me with pleading eyes.

"You know what, I think I will." I said angry, waited 3 seconds, and then answered. "Okay, I've thought it through. I hate you, get out of my life, and _no_, I will and can't forgive you. _Ever_." I said, and with that, I marched out of the classroom. I was expecting a cold hand on my shoulder to hold me back, but there never was. I hurried to next class, and even if I had other things to think about, Smith always lingered in the back of my head.

***At lunch***

My last class before lunch finally ended, and it was with joy as I began to walk towards the cafeteria. I was going to the cafeteria, but then I heard Alice's voice. She was chattering excited with some of her friends I think; Mia & Elizabeth. I heard them just around the corner, and I was just about to walk over to them, when I stopped as I heard what they were talking about.

"…Have you heard that rumor about your brother and that Bella??" Elizabeth, or Liz as she preferred to be called, said and squealed with excitement.

"Oh yeah! Is that true Alice?" Mia asked. She was not as gossip crazy as the other two, but she was a nice girl and fit in their trio perfectly. I had spoken to her a few times, and she seemed to be nothing more but nice. She had a small habit of talking too much though…

"Alright ladies, I'm about to tell you something you absolutely can't tell anyone. And I mean _anyone_. Do you understand??" Alice asked, her tone going all serious in the end, something I've ever heard before. There was a short silence, and it seemed that the other 2 girls understood, because Alice kept going.

"Okay, so that rumor about the two of them being together…it's _almost_ true." She said and the other girls gasped. I was near to too. _What is she talking about?? __Almost__ true??_

Alice giggled, and continued. "Well, when I say almost true is because it _will_ happen, I know it. It's just that the 2 of them are a little bit…slow. But I just made that rumor up so-"she said happily, babbling on, but at the last sentence, I couldn't take it anymore, and rounded the corner, finding the 3 girls as I imagined. When Alice saw my face, she immediately stopped talking and understood that I had heard everything.

"Alice! How could you?!?" I accused her. She looked at me with puppy eyes.

"But Bella I-"she started, but I started to walk away. I was hungry, and now I was pissed as well.

***Inside the cafeteria***

I sat down at our ordinary table, my lunch being a soda and a sandwich. Edward was already there, and with one look at my face, he was already frowning.

"What happened?? And don't say 'nothing', because I know you're lying." He said, and looked me straight into the eye.

I sighed deeply, and took a large gulp of soda before I answered. "You know the rumor going around here about you and me dating??" I asked, and he nodded one sharp. "Well guess what?? The person who made up this rumor is no one less than Alice." I said, as they say, speak of the devil, and the devil will appear. Alice skipped over to our table and sat down in a chair next me. We we're all quiet for a small moment, but Alice being Alice, she groaned in frustration and began to talk. The silence only lasted 15 seconds.

"I'm sorry!!" she apologized and looked at her brother, but his cold gaze made her quickly turn to me instead.

"Alice," I began. "I thought you were my friend!" I accused her.

"But I am you friend Bella!!" she cried to me and her puppy eyes almost got the best of me. Almost.

"Alice, friends don't spread out rumors in school so everyone thinks that your friend and brother are dating." I said, and as soon as the words were out, she looked down at the table, guilty. Edward sat across from me, and he nodded in agreement.

"Alright, I'm sorry!! But, seriously, you two _should_ go out, just once!!" she said, and it made my face go tomato red. Edward on the other hand, sighed and looked at his sister with that "love" between a brother and sister.

"For being so small, you're hugely irritating." He muttered to himself. But then, suddenly, his face brightened up and he grinned evilly. I looked at him confused, but his eyes were only on his sister. Apparently he had a master plan in mind, and it appeared to be _really _evil.

"Alice," he said, ad as she turned to look at him, she froze as she saw his expression. "There is one way we are willing to forgive you."

"There is??" Both she and I said confused in unison, her voice a little bit more frightened then mine.

"Yes, there is. Are you willing to do it??" He asked challenging, but his scary face made it a not so pleasant offer.

"What is the deal??" she asked back, sounding hesitant.

"The deal is that you stand up right here, right now, in this overly crowded cafeteria and tell the truth." He said, and it sounded quite good in my ears.

"And what if I don't??" she asked again, trying to sound more secure of herself, but you could hear the doubt hidden in her voice.

"If you don't," he said, and for the first time since he got his master plan, his eyes moved to me."You will not be able to do a makeover on Bella _ever again._" He said menacing, which made Alice gasp in horror.

"You _wouldn't_!!!!!" she exclaimed horrified in a gasp and glared at her younger brother. He grinned evilly, clearly enjoying the moment of victory and spoke slyly.

"Try me."

Alice sat there for a moment, battling inside her head if pride or makeovers with me were the most important thing. Was that rumor meaning that much for her??

"Alright." She said after a moment and sighed heavily. "Fine, you win." She groaned, and then as she had promised, she stood up and cleared her throat. Nobody seemed to notice, the fully packed cafeteria was full of others conversation, and her small throat clearing was barely heard. She sighed and made one painful look towards her brother, who was grinning in his seat.

"May I have your attention please?" she asked now, a little higher, but apparently not high enough. Only the one close table heard her and turned in their seats to hear what she was going to say. But the rest of the cafeteria didn't. She groaned, knowing she would have to shout to get everyone's attention.

"MAY I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE!!!?" She now screamed, and every conversation in the room stopped and they all turned to look at her. She looked around awkwardly, then cleared her throat once again and began to talk.

"So, this rumor about Edward Cullen and Isabella Swan dating is not true, I made it up. Thank you for your time." She said quickly, but everyone heard what she had said. As soon as she was sitting, all the conversations started once again, and this time it was all about Alice Cullen, Edward Cullen and Isabella Swan. Edward was smirking satisfied in his seat, his arms crossed in front of him.

"You happy now??" Alice muttered grimly and glared at him. "You just made me humiliate myself in front of the entire school!!" She exclaimed and poked at her salad.

"Well you should've thought of that _before_ you made up that rumor about us." He said, and just as he had, the bell rang. "Shall we go??" he asked me, and I nodded as I stood up.

"I'll guess I'll see you later then." Alice told as I began to walk away from the table.

"Yeah, sure." I said over my shoulder and went to throw the empty soda bottle in the trash.

Edward and I walked to our lockers and took our biology books, the one class we shared. Mr. Banner hadn't entered the classroom when we took our seats, and we began to talk. After a minute or two, Mr. Banner entered the room, and some of the conversation stopped, but it wasn't like Fishy's classes. We still talked a little as he began to talk about today's assignment. We we're going to watch a move today, which made not only me, but the rest of the class very happy. Banner turned off the lights in the room, and the movie started. At the moment, I wasn't really that alert; my sleep had been disturbed by the heavy rain under the night, and it was getting to me now. The movie's subject was something I already knew, so I folded my arms in front of me on the table and rested my head on them. I closed my eyes, and I heard how the movie hummed in the background. Suddenly, someone was whispering in my ear, making me alert again.

"Are you alright??" Edward whispered, and the sound of his voice made me open my eyes and turn my face to him.

"Yeah, just a little tired." I said and he grinned at me as I yawned. I looked at the clock and it made me frown. I had slept through almost the whole lesson. It was nice, but my neck was all stiff now. I sat up and stretched myself. Just as I did, Mr. Banner turned the lights on, and some of the students began to talk, but he shushed them quiet again.

"Alright, pages 154 to 161 to Friday. Class dismissed." He said, and all the students began to pick up their books and exit the classroom. I groaned as I remembered that I had P.E., which at the moment, wasn't that tempting.

"What is it??" Edward asked and looked at me worriedly.

"Me next class is P.E." I said, and he smiled understandingly.

"Try not to trip and fall." He teased and began to walk out of the classroom, me following him tiredly.

"Okay, I'll see you." I called after him as he began to walk towards his next class. He grinned and waved, and then we parted. After being alone in 1 minute, walking towards the gym, Mike was walking next to me, talking to me like we we're best buddies and all. I sighed and hoped he could get run over by a bus or something. It may sound mean, but if you have spent time with him yourself, you will know what I mean.

***After gym***

I walked out of the gym, a little sore in my arm from falling on it all the time, but I was definitely more alert then before gym. The rain was still drizzling down from the sky like it had in the morning as I walked over to my truck. When I was at the door of it, I suddenly saw something big behind me. I turned around swiftly, and seeing who it was, made me glare at him.

"What do you want? What are you doing here?" I said angry. His face was full of remorse, and he looked at me puppy eyed.

"Please come home to our house!" Emmet begged and clamped his hands together. Standing next to him was Alice, so much tinier than him, even though it just separated a few years between the two siblings.

"No." I said stubbornly and opened my car door. Both of them pouted at my answer. I was still annoyed at the two of them. Emmet, because what he did last week, and Alice because of the gossip thing.

"Please Bella; Esme would love to have you over dinner." She said, and her brown eyes with a slightly tint of topaz looked at me pleadingly. I sighed at the two of them.

"Sorry, I have homework to do, and laundry, and Charlie needs dinner-"I said, throwing excuses at them, when somebody laughed behind me. A laugh a recognized very well.

"You have to dinner to Charlie?? That was a poor one. He can feed himself, you know. He's a big boy." Edward teased and walked over to us. I slightly smiled as he approached.

"I know that, but he will probably just become sick with food poisoning." I said, leaving out that Charlie actually wasn't supposed to be home today, he was going to be fishing with his friends. But unfortunately, one of them knew that.

"Bella, Charlie is going out fishing; you don't have to make him any dinner." Alice said. "We asked him if he wanted to come over on dinner, but he couldn't. But he said that you could. Come on!"

"Please Bella??" Edward said, and as I looked at him, I regretted it. His eyes were so easy to drown in…

"Eh, sure." I said, hypnotized by the green in his eyes and all of them smiled. But then I made my way back to reality. "Fine, I'll come over, but I have still not forgiven you Emmet." I said and gave him a sharp look. He groaned, but walked away to their car. I went inside mine and closed the door. They rain was getting harder now, and I had no intentions of getting drenched.

***After the drive to the Cullen's***

I stepped out of the car and rushed inside the house, Edward beside me, using his jacket as a cover from the rain that was now pouring down hard. We got inside, and I was met by a very happy Esme.

"I'm so glad you could come over Bella!" she said and hugged me friendly. I smiled at her and walked inside, following Edward. We walked into the living room, where we met Jasper and Rosalie, the Hale twins. Both of them smiled when they saw us, and greeted us friendly. Alice skipped over to Jasper and gave him a small kiss on his cheek. He smiled at her and you could see the love they had for each other. I looked away, but clearly to the wrong direction, because Emmet and Rose were having a huge make out session. I blushed and decided to look at Edward. He was looking at me, and he smiled when he saw my face.

"Hey guys, cut it out. We have a guest, remember?? The one you insisted on coming??" Edward said, and I smiled. The others smiled sheepishly and we sat down in their couch.

"So…What are we doing now??" I asked after a moment of awkward silence. Nobody answered.

"Well, any ideas??" I asked, and Alice's face brightened up, and she was just about to say something, when I added "And no makeovers." She pouted and crossed her arms in front of her, making her look like an elementary student. Well, on the other hand, she _always_ looked kind of like an elementary student. Of course I didn't say that.

"Okay, any _other_ ideas??" I said, looking around.

"How about we watch a movie??" Rosalie suggested, and I nodded in approval.

"That sounds fun." Jasper said and smiled at Alice, who was still looking at me with longing eyes.

"Fine, I give up. What should we see then??" She sighed and leaned her head on Jaspers shoulder.

"No chick-flick." Emmet said, and I agreed. Rose and Alice groaned in disappointment, and it left us all thinking. Suddenly, Emmet's face brightened up as well, and he looked really happy.

"I know! We can watch Bambi!!" He exclaimed, and I grinned. Even if I still was pissed at him, he sure was good at picking movies. All of the others looked at him like he was an idiot, except me.

"Come on, it'll be fun. Besides, Bambi is a good movie." I said. Edward, who was sitting next to me, stood up.

"Alright then, Bambi it is." he said and grinned. He walked over to their TV and looked around in the drawers beside it. After a minute, he had put the movie on, and was sitting in the sofa again.

***After the movie***

I sat in the sofa next to Edward as we watched the credits roll on the TV. My eyes were all wet from the part where Bambi's mother died, and I wiped them once again. Across the room, Emmet sat. His eyes were red as well. We we're the only one who had cried during the movie. Edward reached me another tissue, and I took it with gratitude.

"That is one good movie…" I said after I had wiped away my tears.

"I couldn't agree more little sis." Emmet said and grinned. The others nodded, but they didn't obviously like it as much as us.

"So…what are we going to do now??" I asked, sitting up straight.

"We're going to eat." Alice announced, and just as she had, Esme entered the room.

"Dinner is ready." She said and smiled motherly. All of us moved into the dining room and sat down.

"It looks delicious Esme." I said and looked at her feast meals.

"Well thank you dear. Please, go ahead." She told me and smiled. Carlisle, who had arrived during our movie, smiled at his wife. We all started to eat.

***After dinner***

"It was nice having you here Bella; I hope you'll visit us soon." Esme said and hugged me goodbye. Carlisle stood beside her and smiled at me, wishing me a goodnight. Rosalie and Emmet smiled as well and said goodbye. Jasper was leaning against the wall and smiled at me, saying goodbye as the others. Alice hugged me like Esme had.

"Next time, there _will_ be a makeover." She said and let me go. I grimaced, but let it go. Then there was only Edward left.

"Have a good night and drive safe." He said and hugged me. His hug somehow felt a lot warmer than the others, why I don't know. I blushed a little and let him go.

"Yeah, I will. Bye." I said and walked out of the door.

The drive home was not that long, but it was lonely. But lonely or not, I got home. The porch light was on when I got home. I turned the engine off, and stepped out of the car. The rain had finally stopped, and it was now only a cold, cloudy evening.

As I walked inside, I heard laughing from the living room. Several people laughing.

"Dad??" I called as I walked inside. What I saw shocked me.

"Oh, hi Bella." He said and looked at me. "I told you that Billy and I were going out fishing, didn't I??" he asked, and I nodded, not looking at him anymore. Instead, I looked at the other person here. He grinned at me and waved.

"Hi Bells, what's up??" Jake greeted me and grinned.

**A/N: So??? What did you think?? I'm sorry it took so long, but I hoped this made it up for you. The prequel will be out soon I hope (gonna write as much as possible), so don't worry :P **

**(Sorry for the cliffhanger, I know I'm evil)**

**Well, please review and tell me what you think!! //RF**


	2. Mr Honey bunny and strange dreams

**A/N: Hi guys, sorry for the delay! Here it is: chapter 2! I hope you'll like it! (Oh, and by the way, the character Mia in the last chapter, Alice's friend, is based on my best friend Elin in reality, just so you know :P) Let the story continue!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except Smith, Mia, Liz and the super weird plot!  
Elin: Hey! You don't own me!  
RF: …okay, fine. *sighs* I own Mr. Smith, the strange plot and Liz. Are you happy?  
Elin: Yes, you may continue.  
RF: Thanks **

**Chapter 2: Mr. Honey bunny and strange dreams**

**BPOV**

I froze in my actions and stared at him.

"Jake?? What are you doing here??" I asked him, my voice weak from surprise. He flashed a friendly grin; a grin I recognized that warmed my heart…sometimes.

"Well, isn't it obvious?? I'm here to see you. Besides, Billy and Charlie wanted to see the game tonight."

His arrogant voice made me fill with anger, and I clenched my fits secretly.

"Dad, you want me to make dinner??" I asked, controlling my voice as much as possible. He looked back at me from the sofa.

"Bells, you don't need to make me dinner; I already ate with Billy and Jake." He said, and; unusual as it was, he smiled. I sighed, hoping that I could've had something to do to make my mind busy, and took my bag.

"Alright then. I'll be in my room if you need me."I said briskly and began to walk upstairs. I hurried into my room, and was just about to close the door, when a foot stopped me. I sighed and opened the door, knowing he would be there.

"What is it??" I asked and looked at him as he smiled sheepishly. For once, he actually wore a shirt. "When I said _I_, I meant me, _alone_." I said acidly and glared at him. Sure, he was my _friend_, but these last weeks, he had been coming over to my house almost every day, calling me those days he wouldn't, and be _overly _friendly to me. I _had_ forgiven him for…well, together with Smith, pushing me over the cliff,but in the beginning I had been a little pissed at him. My body still hadn't healed completely from the deadly fall, and in the beginning, all his apologies became too much.

"Ouch Bella, that hurt. I just wanted to hang out with you. That's what _friends_ are for." He said, looking me in the eyes. I sighed at him, and was just about to tell him that he wasn't acting like a friend; he acted like an obsessed stalker, but he took my sigh as a sigh of defeat, and pushed the door open, no problem with his werewolf strength. I groaned, and went to sit on my bed, taking my bag with me. He followed me there and sat on the edge of it and looked at me as I took out my homework.

"So…what are we doing??" he asked cheerfully. I raised my eyebrows at him sighed as I looked down at my books again.

"_We're_ not doing _anything_. I, on the other hand, am going to study." I said, wanting him to vanish into thin air. He frowned at me, and I thought for one second that I saw some sadness in those dark eyes, but as soon as it had appeared, it was gone.

"Sure, sure." He said, grinned, and then lay back on my small bed beside me, stretching himself so that he was almost taking up all the space except where I sat.

"…What are you doing??" I asked him as I began to open my math books.

"You said I could do anything I wanted, right?? Well, I am." He said, grinned at me, and stretched some more, almost pushing me off the bed.

"Hey! Stop it! Haven't you ever learned that pushing people off beds isn't really that nice??" I asked him, glaring from my seat.

"Oh, I have. I'm just doing this to piss you off." He said, and then he began to hum on something, sounding a little funny in his husky voice. It was a song I recognized, and I began to hum with him to his delight. After a moment of humming, I stopped and went back to concentrate on my homework. This made Jake bored, and he stopped his humming as well. The minutes ticked by, and I knew Jake was getting bored every second that went by. This made a strange feeling burn inside of me, a feeling of delight, of evilness. I was happy that he was bored. Does that make me a bad person???

***A few minutes later***

"Man, this sucks." Jake groaned, and finally rose from my bed, giving my some space.

"Well, no one made you stay; you're free to go any time you like." I said without looking up from my books. I was almost done, but I hoped that he would give up his interest in sitting in my room and do nothing and go somewhere else and do nothing before I finished. So I had to drag it out as long as I could so he could lose his interest and go and play somewhere else.

He sighed deeply, and began to walk away from the bed. He began to stroll around in the room, looking at something. After a small moment, to my horror, I accidently finished all my homework, which gave me no other option then to hang out with him. I sighed, and just as I did, I heard a chuckle.

"What is this??" he asked me between chuckles, and I looked up to see what he meant. When I saw what he held, I felt my cheeks turn red and I wanted to throw myself on him and take the thing he had just found in my room.

"Give it to me." I said and began to rise from my bed. He looked at me, and suddenly, I saw some evilness in his eyes, that told me this was his way of payback.

"Well, well, well, what shall I do with you??" he said and looked at Mr. Honey bunny. Mr. Honey Bunny was a stuffed bunny I received as a birthday present on my 12th birthday. That bunny had been with me these years, and before, I didn't really remember how I got it, but now I do. I got it from Edward.

"Give him to me." I said and walked over to Jake. I had no chance in the world to take it away from him, considering that he's as tall as a giraffe. A bulky giraffe, that is.

"_Him_ you say?? What's his name?? Mr. Bunny??" he joked, and as I came closer to him, he held it up in the air out of my reach.

"Stop being a jerk and give him back!" I yelled at him so loud I think even Charlie heard it. But Jake just grinned at me, and then looked at Mr. Honey bunny.

"You haven't told me his name yet. I'll give him back if you do." He said, and continued to grin. I groaned at his childishness, but did as I was told, wanting him back.

"His name is Mr. Honey bunny. Now, give him back!" I said and glared at him. He chuckled slightly, but started to give him to me…but I was wrong. Just as I almost had him in my arms, he snatched it back, and held it out of reach for me. Stupid werewolf and his super werewolf height…

Jake took Mr. Honey bunny, and began to run across the room with him, holding him as high as possible. Of course, I ran after him.

"Give him back!" I shouted. He laughed and stopped at the foot of my bed. I still couldn't reach it, even if he had stopped running, so I decided to try to jump up in the air to try to catch it.

"Never!" he said evil in his husky voice and laughed darkly. I continued to jump in the air in my attempt to catch Mr. Honey bunny, and it was then when it happened.

When I was going to jump my 6th time, my foot slipped on the floor, and I bumped into him, and he started to fall down on the bed. I landed on top of him, and our faces we're just a few centimeter apart. He was grinning, looking at me from where he lied with amusement, and I was just about to tell him I hated him really much, and that I knew people that could kick his ass if he didn't give Mr. Honey bunny back, when something even worse happened; the door opened.

As I turned my head to see who it was, I wasn't surprised to see Charlie there. My face instantly turned tomato red; realizing what this scene would look like to him. He stared at us with surprise, his eyes wide with shock, but it was his next action that surprised me the most.

"Oh…eh, I'll leave you kids alone." He said in a slightly embarrassed voice, and closed the door. I heard how he walked downstairs again, and I groaned, thinking how he and Billy would chatter about this forever.

"…are you going to get of me or what??" Jake asked after a moment, and grinned at me. I blushed in embarrassment, and began to move, but then he took his arms around me and held me there, continuing to speak.

"But it's okay if you don't want to, I understand. Who would want to move away from a stud like me??" he asked, and I sighed at him smiling to myself, thinking what a vain person he is sometimes. Is it because of the muscles? I mean, sure; I don't like him that way, but anyone must admit that he got a bit handsomer after his transform into a werewolf.

"You're so vain." I told him, grinning, and began to move again, but his hold on me wouldn't budge. He gasped in mock horror, and stared at me with wide, entertained eyes.

"Oh! No I'm no Bella! By the way, have you seen my new hair gel? It was _so_ cheap! I got it on a sale this Saturday in the mall. Oh, that reminds me! What do you think about my shirt?? But ew Bella, you're making wrinkles on it!" He exclaimed in a _very_ feminine voice, but as he said all these things, his hands were _still _on my back, holding me down.

"…Eh, you look great Jake, sure. But can you let me go now??" I asked and looked him in the eye. He looked at me for a moment, and a small emotion flashed in his eyes, but we're gone before I could see what it had been. Then, he smiled and did as he was told. As he released his hold on me, I rushed to get off him, and sat down on the edge of the bed. I heard him chuckle a little, but he didn't move from his spot at the bed. But then he suddenly sighed. I turned my head to look at him, and he was watching the ceiling with a distance look, like he was thinking about something. Then, his eyes flickered to mine, and for the first time this night, he was looking serious. He stared at me, and I stared at him.

"…What is it Jake??" I asked, surprised and confused by his sudden mood change. He stared at me, and then, like it was too much for him, he broke away from my gaze and stared at the ceiling once again.

"Bella…well, I have something to tell you." He said, still looking away from me. I continued to look at him, waiting for him to say anything, but he didn't.

"What?" I asked again. He frowned where he lay, and then he opened his mouth to say something, but then closed it again. I waited patiently, and finally, he began to speak.

"Bella…I know my feeling for you are not the same as your feelings for me, I understand that. And I'm not asking for a second chance, I'm not. I already know I blew my chance. But I want you to know that I'm your friend now. I'm your friend_ only_, nothing more." He said in a serious tone, and then he looked at me again. His eyes where as serious as he sounded, and as I watched his dark eyes, I forgot what I was going to say. He stared at me for a moment, and then he continued.

"I just want you to know that…that I'm here for you, and I will never hurt you again." He said as seriously, but then, his eyes became darker than normal; dark of hate, and his face became hard.

"And I will _not_ let that leach hurt you, and I don't care if he's on our land or not; if he as much as touch you the wrong way, I _will_ kill him." He said darkly, giving me chills down my spine, and I gulped at his scary talk. He was slightly vibrating at the bed now, shaking with anger, and I started to panic as I realized it was the werewolf effect.

"Eh, I appreciate that Jake, I really do." I said swiftly, and gave him the best smile I could at the moment, not managing any better because of the fear in my system. "But right now, what I _really_ would appreciate was that you took some deep breaths and calmed down." I said admitting the truth. He looked at me for a moment, his expression not changing, and he was still vibrating on the bed. But eventually, his shaking stopped, and he closed his eyes, putting his hands in his face. After a small moment, he removed them, and to my relief, his eyes were back to normal, and he now smiled slightly at me.

"Sorry about that, I didn't mean to scare you." He said, and I laughed slightly.

"Well, you did. So, what-"I began to ask, but suddenly the door opened again. I turned my head to it, and wasn't as surprised when I saw Charlie in the doorway, watching us.

"Eh, Jacob you and your dad are leaving now." He half-mumbled half-said, and walked out of the door again. I looked back at Jacob again, and he looked a little disappointed, but sighed and began to move from the bed.

"Well, I had a blast. Did you??" he asked when he was in the door way, turned to me, who had followed him.

"Well…it could've been better." I said, and his face fell a little. I laughed at him, and we began to move downstairs.

"No, I'm just kidding. I had fun with you too Jake." I said and smiled at him. He grinned back at me before he went to get his Jacket.

"So, we're leaving then. Thanks for having us over Charlie." Billy said, and even though he tried to hide it, I saw his smug smile under the grateful one. Billy looked at Charlie, and I turned to him as well.

"No problem, it was nice having you over as always." He said and smiled back, and he had that smug smile as well hidden poorly under his smile. I sighed when I saw them exchanging looks, winking in the end.

"Bye then." They called as they stepped out the door and disappeared in the short darkness to their car. I sighed and escaped as fast as I could to my room before Charlie could start one of his awkward parent talks.

***Later***

I made myself ready to sleep, and lay down in my bed, thinking. Sure, Jake was a kick-ass friend…sometimes. Well, he's _often _a kick-ass friend. And, yes, he's handsome….in his kind of way. And I love him…but not like he loves me. He loves me, _loves_ me. I love him like a brother, like family…and I don't think that will change. But I'm glad he decided to be my friend despite all that have happened. I'm really sorry that I can't respond his love; I wish I could…But at the same time, every time I think of that, I get this pain in my stomach, almost like guilt. And a even more strange thing is…every time I think of love…I see Edward. I wonder why… is it that I love _him_??? No, that's impossible… or it is???

That was the last thing I thought about before I fell asleep.

***Next day***

I woke up startled by the alarm clock. I turned it off as fast as I could, and then lay back on my pillow for a minute. I knew I dreamt of something… what was it??

***Dream***

_I stood in a dark room filled with candles. I looked around, confused. It was a quite big room, Victorian-styled. The floor was dark and wooden, the bed was king-sized and the sheets were made of silk. There was a big window next to me and the curtains I were red and heavy, only letting the smallest potion of light in. I walked over to it and removed the curtain to look outside. It was dark out there; the moon was the only light besides the candles. To my surprise, the house…or rather castle was on a cliff, facing the ocean. I dropped the curtain and let it fall back to its place, leaving the room dark once again except the candles around me. There were rose pedals spread out on the sheets of the bed and the floor. I watched the scene, putting my hands on my hips, when I noticed what I was wearing. I was wearing a tight fitting cocktail dress, and in the poorly lighted room, I saw it was blue. It was lowly cut to my embarrassment. I blushed, and turned around to the bed again, but now, someone was standing there. Someone I knew…_

"_Oh my love, you look stunning." Edward said softly as he looked at me, smiling his crooked smile which I loved. He was himself dressed in a black shirt and pants, his shirt half open, revealing his muscular chest. I blushed even more than before, thinking how embarrassing I am for dreaming this, but my thoughts became interrupted when Edward walked over to me. His strides were graceful as he walked and when he stopped, we we're more close than ever. He took one of his hands and placed it on my back, holding me to him, and the other one he caressed my cheek with. I opened my mouth to speak, but he stopped me…by kissing it. The kiss was magical, even for a dream, and it made me feel like I was soaring in space, and the truth was, I didn't ever want to come down. He moved his hand on my cheek to my hair, pulling me closer to deepen the kiss, and I didn't object. The kiss was soft, yet aggressive, and then, I have no idea how it happened, but somehow he pushed me down on the bed. We continued the kiss and-_

***End if dream***

I sat on the bed after my slight flashback of the dream, doing nothing. I was in shock. Then, finally, my head started to work, and I blushed deep red. I dreamed that?!? How embarrassing can it get??

I got out of my bed and went to take a shower, hoping that it would work. It didn't. After the shower I was still very embarrassed and shocked as before, and I groaned in frustration and continued my morning as I normally did… and blushing like crazy the whole time.

I finally got ready to go, and got out to my beloved truck. My ride to school was slow, and even though I put on some music to keep me distracted, it didn't work. I still blushed as I parked on the lot at school. I cut the engine off, and sat there for a while without moving. Then, a thought came into my head. Where was Edward? Was he here??

I gazed through the parking lot, searching for him, and very well, his car was parked in its usual place. I blushed, and many thoughts came to my head once again, but this time all of them were about one thing; how I could avoid Edward. Wait, avoid?? Why would I want to do that?? …okay, I kind of did; my dream may not be real, but it will still be embarrassing and awkward to see him.

I stepped out of the car into the rain, and pulled up my hood in slight protection. I hurried into the building, and to my relief, I didn't meet him on my way over to my locker. I opened it and took off my hood. I took out my math books, my least favorite subject, mostly because of the teacher, and then closed the locker to hurry away to class. But as I did, there was someone standing there. I gasped in surprise and looked up at Edwards face, watching his green eyed which were watching _me_ with amusement and slight confusion.

"Hi Bella." He greeted me, smiling his crooked smile. _"Oh my love, you look stunning." Edward said softly as he looked at me, smiling his crooked smile which I loved…_ I shuddered at the memory and blushed deep red.

"Hi. I'm late for class so…" I said, leaving the sentence hanging, and started to walk away from him. I hoped he wouldn't follow me, but I knew he would. It took a small moment for him to react to my words, but I soon heard his footsteps after me, half-running to catch up with me. I tried to walk faster, but he was in front of me before I could.

"Bellie, class doesn't start until another 10 minutes… and why are you blushing??" he asked, studying me where he stood. I blushed even more and looked down at the floor.

"Oh, I forgot about that…" I said, not answering his other question. He noticed that as well of course, and crossed his arms in front of him, raising one eyebrow.

"Bellie…answer my question." He said again, and frustration and embarrassment took over.

"It's none of your business, alright?!" I snapped at him, blushing even more, and began to walk to class. The bells just as I sat down in my chair and as always, Smith entered just as the bell had rung. He closed the door behind him, and began to write the pages of today's assignment. If this were another class, or if we had another teacher who wasn't a teacher, I could guarantee that everyone in the classroom would've groaned. Actually, someone groaned last year right before a test. He was a really good student, straight A's. He failed the test.

I opened my book, sighing mentally as the rest of them and started to work.

Class was dragging on slowly as always, but even though all these numbers were standing in front of me, wanting to be solved, the only thing I thought about was my dream. Did that dream mean something?? Did I _want_ to dream that?? I mean, I was the one dreaming, so it was _my_ brain that was making all that up, no one else's. Was Alice right all this time; that we felt something for each other?? Oh wait…how do I know that he feels something for me?? Ugh, how confusing! Do I like him? Does he like me? Did the dream mean anything?? Did that kiss-

My thoughts were interrupted by a loud bang from my desk. I jumped in surprise, to see Mr. Smith standing in front of my desk. The bang had come from the 5 books he had dropped on my desk. His eyes were staring at me, his face hard.

"Please stay after class Miss Swan." He simply said, and walked away, taking his books with him. I stared after him, still in slight shock. He…he can't read minds, can he?? If he can, then…then this is _really_ embarrassing. Oh man, my head is wacked up. Right now, I'm wondering if my vampire, math teacher, animal shape shifter, manipulating "friend" is a mind reader, and I'm not even considering the idea that mind reading is impossible.

I sighed, and began to work again, pushing my thoughts out of my head and just began to focus on the tiny number on my page.

***Later***

The bell rang, and everyone in the room hurried to get out of the room…everyone except Mr. Smith and me that is. He waited until everyone had exited the room, which didn't take long, and then turned to look at me. Our eyes met, and as they did, I recoiled in my seat, gasping in horror. I had seen him mad before, but even though I have, it still scares the crap out of me. His eyes were coal black, glaring at me murderously. I even think I heard a small growl grow in his chest, but it was gone as soon as it had appeared. I stared at him wide eyed, wondering if I was going to die, and then he spoke.

"What did you and that mutt do in your bed?" he asked furious and stepped closer to me. I stared at him, my chin at the floor, and after a moment, I gained the power to speak.

"Wh-Wh-What?? What are you talking about??" I asked and frowned at him. He stopped in front of my desk and glared at me darkly.

"I visited your house last night. That….that mutt's smell was on your sheets! What did you do?!" he asked, and his question made me blush. He could've just as well asked 'did the two of you sleep together in your bed last night?'

"You were in my house last night??" I asked horrified, ignoring his question. His facial expression became a little less scary as I mentioned it, like I was reminding him about some nice memory of his.

"Yes, I was. I just wanted to make sure you were alright, nothing more. But then, I noticed his smell on your sheets and…well it made me furious, it still does. So, what happened??" he asked again, and his face became hard again. I frowned at him.

"Nothing happened, really. But even _if_ something would've happened, that's none of your business." I said, glaring at him.

"Nothing happed??" he asked again, looking surprised. I sighed at him and began to rise from my seat.

"Nothing happened. Now leave me alone. I don't care that you were worried about me, don't visit my house." I said and glared at him. He stared at me for a moment, not letting any emotion cross his face, and then he looked away from me.

"Very well, I won't." he said, watching as the rain hit the window. I began to move out from the room, trying to be as fast as possible. But, of course, he was there before me. Why was everyone faster than me?? Is it that I'm slow or something??

"Bella…I just want to tell you I'm sorry. For everything, absolute everything. And I will stop interfering with your life from now on." He said which made my eyes go wide, and look up at him.

"You'll stop stalk me and follow me around?? Enter my house without permission??" I asked, hoping joyfully.

"Yes, I will." He said simply, no emotion in his voice. I almost screamed of happiness.

"Oh my goodness, I'm so happy! Are you serious??" I asked one last time, and it was really all it took.

"Actually, I'm not. Why would I give up on you my love?? I love you to the bottom of my heart, and I will never let you go." He said, and with those words, he hugged me to his chest. I struggled to get out of his grip, but he didn't notice. Or he did and ignored it, but that I'll never know…

Finally, he let me go, and I glared at him, while he was looking at me with loving eyes.

"You're everything for me Bella." He said simply and caressed my cheek. I glared at him and slapped away his hand.

"LEAVE ME ALONE! I DON'T LIKE YOU AND I NEVER WILL!!" I screamed to the top of my lungs at him, and then ran out of the room as fast as I could. When I got to my locker, I hurried to get my geography books. I ran to class, and entered the classroom just as the bell rang. I hurried to my seat next to Mike and Mrs. Allison started class.

"Alright class. Today, I want you to write about one European country each. Please start now." She said, and as she had, the class started to talk. Mrs. Allison wasn't so picky about talking in class. It was more the results of your work she cared for. I opened my book and looked for a country to write about.

"So, what country are you going to write about??" Mike asked and watched me with his usual grin.

"Eh, I think France. What about you??" I asked, looking at the page about France in the book. Mike's next words didn't surprise me.

"I'm going to write about Japan!" he exclaimed energetic and smiled at me. I frowned at his stupidity and sighed.

"Mike, Japan's in Asia." I said, pointing out the obvious.

"What?! That can't be true! I _know_ that Japan's in Europe, it stood in the book!" he said and began to turn the pages intensely to find the country. I only enjoyed it a little when he groaned in defeat by finding out the truth. Only a little.

Classes ended, and I began to walk to lunch. Last night's dream was almost out of my head, but that was about to change.

I just rounded from my lockers, when I bumped into a person. Guess who??

"Bella! There you are; I've been looking all over for you! Are you avoiding me or something?" Edward asked and frowned at me, and I saw sadness flicker in his eyes.

"No, I'm no avoiding you…but I got to go, see you, bye." I said and began to walk away from him. I didn't get far, because just as I had passed him, he caught my hand and pulled me back to him. I bumped into him, and it almost made me fall, but he placed a hand on my back to prevent me from falling (or getting away). That action of his made last night's dream flutter into my brain, and I blushed deeply.  
_He took one of his hands and placed it on my back, holding me to him, and the other one he caressed my cheek with..._

I tried to push him away, but he held me there, frowning at my strange behavior.

"Bella, what is it?? Is it something I've done?? Please tell me! You're blushing like crazy…" he said, muttering the last thing for himself. Everything he said made me blush even more (if that was possible), and suddenly, the whole world became all dizzy.

"…ella, answ…me….plea…ell me…" Edward pleaded in the distance, and I soon realized that I was going to pass out. _NO! I don't want to pass out! I always pass out! Why is it always me! NO! I'm __not__ going to! _  
Black spots had clouded my vision, and the world was spinning as well. My ears were ringing, and then, I felt how my knees gave in.

"Why does she always pass out on me?!" Edward asked desperately to himself, and then, numbness filled my body, and the darkness became overwhelming.

**A/N: Sorry for the slight cliffhanger, but come on, she passes out all the time, so this is not such a big surprise is it? I guess not. Well…did someone see New moon?? I did :D That movie actually made me like Jacob more. Taylor and his biceps were absolutely appreciated… :P**

Jacob: So, will you admit I'm hot now??  
RF: *sighs* Fine, you're hot.  
Jacob: I told ya. *grins*  
RF: But hey, that doesn't mean I like _**you**_**. I said I liked **_**movie**_** Jacob. You, the book Jacob, still piss me off.  
Jacob: *pouts*  
RF: Ah…that movie was just…yummy. Two shirtless guys…  
The pack: Hey! What about us?!?  
RF: Oh, right. 5 shirtless guys and Paul.  
Paul: *growls*  
RF: Eh….got to go. Please review about the Chapter, and if you like, please tell me your opinion about the movie, I'd love to know :P  
Paul: *growls louder*  
RF: Eh….BYE!! *runs away fast as hell*  
(Please review! ///RF)**


	3. FINALLY!

**A/N: Hi! Sorry for the lousy updating (Thanks skyeypiey for reminding me, it helped a lot!). I ****was**** going to update last week-end, but I kind of had mind on other things…I WENT TO A PARAMORE CONSERT! Every time I began to write, I listened to their music, I began to sing along so much, I forgot to write (Sorry…The neighbors didn't appreciate it either…) But here it is, so I hope you'll enjoy it!**

**Disclaimer: …Surprise surprise, SM owns Twilight.  
Random person: *GASP*  
RF: I know, shocking isn't it??**

**Chapter 3: FINALLY! **

**BPOV**

I was swimming in the darkness of unconsciousness, when suddenly I got dragged up to the surface by a slight touch on my arm. I slowly opened my eyes, but then quickly closed them at because of the strong light in the room I was in. I was lying in a bed, a hard one, and someone was stroking my arm gently, and a slight murmur was heard. This made me think. Where was I and why am I here?? Then, like a punch, the memory hit me. I was in the hall, going to lunch, when I met Edward. He began to question me about why I was avoiding him and…and I passed out because of the embarrassment. I think I forgot to breathe…

"Bella…"A male voice murmured quietly, a male voice I knew by heart, and I knew that he knew I was awake. I tried once again to open my eyes, but the light was still overwhelming. I blinked several times, and at last, I could open my eyes despite the strong lighting in the room. His eyes instantly met mine as soon as my eyes we're open, and we watched each other for a few silent seconds. Images of last night's dream suddenly flew once again into my mind, and I blushed red and broke my gaze from him, looking at the door instead. That's when my red cheeks turned pale white. The white door had a small window, and looking through it was someone whose skin was even paler than mine, and his eyes dark as coal. Yes, in the door window, was Mr. Smith standing, looking at me with a pained look in his eyes. The second our gazes met, he disappeared. I looked away from the door and up in the ceiling instead. I knew that Edward was still watching me, but I decided to stay quiet and think instead. Why was Smith here? His eyes were so dark…scary dark. He had looked pained somehow, but at the same time, angry. Was it that…that he wanted _blood_? Is that why his eyes somehow turn dark somehow?? I mean, he's a vampire, a strange one for sure.

He doesn't really have the original traits like "ordinary" vampires do; the one's in books and stuff. Usually, they burn in sunlight. Him?? He glitter like a small girl who has put on _way_ too much body glitter on herself. And for as long as I can remember, vampires have to be invited to a house to gain entrance to it. Him?? He steps inside my house as he like and I'm sure he has my house key by now. And "Normal vampires" have fangs. Him?? Just ultra sharp normal teeth. I mean, if you're a vampire, isn't the whole thing about the fang part? And for the "vampires can't pass running water" part, well…I just have to test that one out myself, I guess. The ultra beautiful part… No, definitely not. There were so many things that didn't match up with the myths. And what about the onions? And the whole "Animals hates vampires" thing? Yeah, those things are quite easy to test! And if it's true, then I can snatch my neighbor's creepy, evil and old cat that lurks around our house all the times and attack us when it gets the chance. Then I could take some onions and throw at him and then let Moby attack. Yeah…I'd love see Moby in his face, scratching and cutting his-

"Bella, what happened out there??" Edward suddenly asked, and my attention was brought to him, bringing me out of my wonderful daydream. I looked at him, and he was watching me as before, with a slight frown on his face. I stared at him, and then groaned, knowing I had to tell the truth, which would be _really_ embarrassing. I sat up and then took a deep breath, staring at my hands.

"Well…" I started, fidgeting with my hands nervously.

"Well?? Please Bella, it's killing me! I can't read your mind, you know!" he exclaimed dramatically, and then groaned. I watched him for a small moment, frowning, but then I realized it. Edward was _suffering_ because of me. Sure, it might sound exaggerated when you put it like that, but it's true; he is.

"I'm sorry." I apologized in a mumble, and took another deep breath as I prepared myself for the possibly most embarrassing moment of my life. No wait, the most embarrassing moment of my life _so far_.

"Okay, I'll tell you." I said and took my last deep breath. _Here goes nothing…_ "I dreamed about you last night." I said in a rush, and my blush increased intensely. I kept looking at my hand in embarrassment, but Edward was still quiet. I looked up from my hands, and he was still watching me, but his frown had increased, and he looked at me like…like I was crazy. Maybe I was…

"Are you serious? You've been avoiding me all day because of a _dream_?? Bella, I dream about you all the time, there's nothing wrong with it." He said, and I frowned at his strange response.

"You…you dream about _me_??" I asked, doubt clouding my voice. He stared at me with the same 'you're crazy' look as before, and then, he laughed.

"Of course I dream about you, why wouldn't I? Besides…" he said, and now, he was the one who was looking away. "The dreams you're in are always wonderful." He said, his voice filled with emotion and I might have imagined it, but I thought I saw a slight blush on his cheeks. I would've examined it more, but a sudden crack outside the door; a loud bang which had been muted by the door made me turn my head to the doors direction. I was almost expecting Fishy out there, baring his teeth and his eyes glaring murderously at us, but there was nothing there. I frowned at the strange happening, but after a small moment of waiting, seeing that nothing happened, I shrugged and turned back, figuring that it was just a stupid student (Mike) or someone who lightened a cracker in the hall. I turned back to Edward, and judging by the look on his face, he was as surprised as me. I was just about to ask him something, when suddenly, the whole room was filled with a loud growl…from my stomach. He grinned at me, and rose from the chair he was sitting in.

"Bellie, Bellie… We've only missed 10 minutes of lunch, and your stomach is already growling. You're starting to sound like Emmet." He said and grinned. I blushed deep red and glared at him for his comparison with me and Emmet. Not that Emmet is a person I don't want to be compared with, but if someone compare you with Emmet when it's about food, its way out of the line. Nobody eats, talks or enjoys food as much as Emmet.

I rose from the small infirmary bed and both of us walked out of the room. The nurse was sitting at her desk outside, and once she saw us, she rushed out of her seat and hurried over to us.

"Oh dear, are you alright?? Maybe you need some more rest…" she said and studied me with an uncertain eye. I shook my head and promised her that I was alright. I didn't want to stay here anymore, I wanted food! …He's right; I _am_ starting to sound like Emmet…

"Well, if you say so…" The nurse said, and you could clearly see she didn't like it at all, but didn't take it any further. We exited the infirmary and began to walk towards the cafeteria. On our way there, we chatted on, just like always. The whole dream issue was forgotten, and I was glad. All I really wanted was to put that behind me and move on. Having dreams like that should be illegal. But his chest was kind of- _knock it off, Bella. Stop having these kinds of thoughts about him; you're beginning to sound like you're in love with him._ But… Was I?? Every time he touches me, I feel all warm inside. Every time he looks at me, my skeleton melts. Every time I hear his voice, it's like the world most beautiful sound invaded my ears. Every time he smiles, I feel I could die happily now that I've seen it. And, every time he laughs… This is starting to sound like a cheesy lovey-dovey movie. But, it's all true… So am I in love with him? Really? I guess I should've known… how-

My thoughts were interrupted by a hug coming from a _very_ small person. But even though she has the size of a pixie, doesn't mean she don't have the strength. Her hug came as a surprise, and what happens? Yes, she tackles me down on the cafeteria floor, hugging me with all her might. All conversations stopped, and I was sure that everyone's eyes were on us. But Alice couldn't care less about that. As she spoke, I heard her worry and concern about my in her voice.

"Bella! Are you alright? What happened? As soon as I heard you were at the infirmary, I came as soon as I could, but when I got there, you we're still out. Edward, being that evil pig that he is, didn't let me see you, and told the nurse to kick me out. So she did! Oh Bella!! I was so worried!!" she gushed, sounding like she was on the verge of crying. I stiffly patted her back as she hugged me with all of her might, and I heard the small chuckles in our audience.

"Alice! What are you doing? I understand that you're upset, but do you need to tackle her to the floor and then suffocate her with hugs??" Edward hissed at her, and even though I couldn't see his face, I was pretty sure he looked as pissed as he sounded. I heard a pair of girls standing near us, giggling, and it was something familiar with it…

"Come on Alice, he's right. Tackling people in the cafeteria is _not_ a way of showing your concern." Mia said, and I now realized it was her and Liz who had giggled just now.

"Yeah. Besides, you're making her _and_ your clothes all dirty." Liz pointed out, and giggled again. Alice loosened her hold on me, and moved away from me so we could see each other's faces.

"Oh…Sorry Bellie." She said and grinned slightly.

"It's okay; I forgive you…if you never do something like this again." I said, slightly breathless.

"Absolutely." She said and smiled a dazzling smile as she got off me and helped me up. I began to brush the dirt off my clothes, and I was sure I was tomato red at the moment. We went into the line, and after a small moment of silence, the conversations started up again. Only now, there were all about one thing; me and Alice.

"Alice, why did you do that??" Edward asked in a groan, and glared at the tiny little pixie that stood in front of us together with Liz and Mia. She turned around to look at her brother, and suddenly, massive rage lit up her face, and it looked kind of wrong on a person as tiny as her.

"_This_ wouldn't have happened if you let me see her in the infirmary." She said, and she looked like she was one step from committing mass murder. Edward took one step closer to his sister and glared down at her, and his expression was matching hers.

"But even if you're upset with _me_, do you really have to make _Bella_ suffer like this and humiliate her in front of the whole school?!" He hissed at her, and I flinched away from the unkindness in his voice. But luckily, someone was smart enough to break the fight off before the two of them started a serious was, and if they would, I could bet Mike's life on that it wouldn't be pretty.

Mia sighed loudly and turned back to stop the two siblings from ripping each other's heads off.

"There, there. Alice, Edward's right. It was kind of mean to do such a thing to Bella. But Edward, making a scene right here and now doesn't help Bella exactly. And I think Bella would be really sad if you killed each other right now." Mia said in soothing tone, and smiled at the two of them. Both of them turned to look at her, and then at each other. If someone looked at them at that moment (which probably several did), they would think that they had some silly staring competition. But knowing them better, I knew that it was more to it. They we're communicating, staring into each other's eyes. Eventually, Alice broke away, and she sighed in defeat.

"Alright, I guess you're right." She said, looking at her feet. Then, she looked up at me, and I could clearly see the regret in her eyes, together with the anger and frustration.

"I'm sorry for what I did Bella, I truly am. But Edward, you we're still being a …a poop head!" She said and blew raspberries at him. He rolled his eyes and took his sisters head in his arms and ruffled her short, spiky hair, grinning while doing so. She gave a small 'Hey!' in protest, and hit her brother on his arm, but all of us knew the fight was over.

We got our food and sat down at our normal tables, saying our small goodbye's as we parted. I saw the longing in Alice's eyes; that hunger of gossip, when Edward began to move to our regular table, but I guessed she didn't want to make more of a scene than it already was. But I knew there would be an interrogation coming soon…

We sat down and starting eating; I almost choked on my chicken sandwich in the progress when I guzzled it down. Edward laughed as I coughed and reached for my soda.

"Whoa there, take it easy." He said as I gulped down the soda, gasping for air when I was done, and that only made him laugh even more.

"I'm hungry, okay?" I said and began to eat the small portion that was left of my sandwich. He stopped laughing, trying to be the gentleman he always is, but there was a small smile playing on the edge of his lips, and I sighed, knowing he had a hard time keeping a straight face.

"Fine, laugh all you want." I said, giving up. He didn't, but he gave up the 'none smiling' part, and grinned at me.

"I'm sorry Bellie, but you looked so funny. Almost like…Almost like Emme-" he said, but I interrupted him before he could say his brothers complete name.

"Do _not_ compare me with Emmet when it's about food." I said, and I tried to glare at him, but I couldn't. His grin made that kind of impossible. The way he smiled…the way his eyes glittered of joy…  
_So it's true the; you're in love with him…_ The knowing voice back in my head told me, and I jerked out of my small dream state. I blushed deep red, and looked away. _It's true; you __are__…_ it told me once again, and I blushed some more. Edward, who was unaware of my thoughts (thankfully), thought it had something to do with him, laughing at me.

"Oh, I'm so sorry Bella; I didn't mean to hurt you! Please Bella, look at me." He pleaded, and I could hear the horror in his voice, his worry about hurting my feelings. I turned to look at him, and his face was as hurt as his voice. Just looking at him made me sad…_  
See, just my point! You're sounding exactly like a lovey-dovey movie! Accept it; you're in love with him._ They voice said stubbornly again, and it made a slight blush spread on my cheeks.

"It's okay Eddie, you didn't hurt my feelings." I said, and gave a small smile, but it didn't quite reach my eyes. The words from the voice still lingered in my mind.

I looked at my watch, and rose from my seat, finding my escape.

"Oh! I better go to class or I'll be late." I said and began to pick up all my stuff. But to my surprise, Edward rose as well.

"Bella, we have the same class, and it doesn't start until another 15 minutes." He said and rolled his eyes.

"Oh, right." I said, feeling stupid. How could I forget we had the same class?? "Well…I have something to do, so I'll see you in class." I said and began to walk away. But he didn't give up that easily, which I should've known. He followed me out to the hall, and once we we're out from the crowded cafeteria he put his hand on my shoulder and spun me around so I was facing him.

"Bella, don't be ridiculous, I'll come with you." He said, and I saw the wonder in his face, which was understandable. I _was_ acting strange.

"No, you won't. I'll see you in class." I said, and tried to walk away, but he took my hand and held me back.

"No. I'll come with you." He said stubbornly and I wanted to groan in frustration. What could I say that would make him stop following me? And that's when it hit me.

"I don't think they allow boys in the ladies room." I pointed out in a slight pleased voice, happy that I had come up with a master plan. But my plan was soon crushed. So much for that master plan…

"I'll wait outside." He said, and his suspicion had grown bigger. I sighed and began to walk away towards the bathrooms, Edward right behind me. As I reached the bathrooms, I turned around and looked at him.

"You can go, seriously." I said, knowing he wouldn't listen, but I could always try. He looked back at me, and a soon saw a small grin on his lips.

"No, I'll wait. Besides, what are you going to do if you fall down in the toilet?? That's when I come in." he said, and I rolled my eyes at him.

"_No_ you don't. If I fall in, I get out myself, end of discussion. Now, if you're going to stay here, I expect you to do it like a good little boy and stay out of trouble, alright??" I said, and used my best old-lady voice. He grinned at me, and saluted me like a soldier receiving his orders.

"Yes ma'am." He said, and grinned at me. I rolled my eyes once again, and entered the bathroom, which was empty. I went to the sink and splashed some water on my face. I looked at my reflection in the mirror. Was it true??

_I've told you a thousand times: YOU'RE IN LOVE!! Okay??! Just accept it already!_ The voice who had spoken before said, and I saw how my cheeks reddened. I splashed my face again, and then I took a paper towel and wiped my face. Was I…?

_Wasn't I clear enough? Yes, you're in love. God you're slow…_ The voice said again, as irritated as last time. I looked at my reflection thinking through all things about Edward I knew of. All the things I had learned about him all these years…

And then it _really_ hit me: I was in love with him.

All the things I came to think of made my stomach filled with butterflies, it made me warm inside, and there was another feeling there I hadn't been able to identify until now. Love.  
What an idiot I've been until now. I wonder how long I've loved him… damn, Alice was right all the time…

A small, sudden knock on the door startled me.

"Fallen into the toilet yet??" Edward asked outside, and I couldn't help but to grin.

"No! Mind your own business!" I yelled back at him, and I heard him chuckle. I exited the bathroom, and as I saw him, I was sure; I loved him. The thought made me blush, but he didn't notice.

"So? Did you behave like a good boy??" I asked and looked at him with mock suspicion.

"Yes! Eddie's been a good boy!" He said in his most childish voice, and I laughed at him.

"Oh, good then." I said, and we began to walk to out lockers to get our books. We talked just like always when we reached class, and it brightened my day up when Mr. Banner told us we we're watching a movie today in class. As the movie started and the lights went out, I suddenly felt a sudden awareness of Edward. I slowly glanced at him, and I blushed as I saw he was looking at me too. I turned away, but I felt all warm inside. Actually, it felt like there was some electrical tension between us, and not an unpleasant one. It was there the whole lesson, and I couldn't help but to glance at him once in a while in the lesson. He caught me every time though. The lesson finally ended though, and it made me slightly sad. We took our books and began to walk out of the classroom, when I suddenly saw that pixie again that I knew so well.

"Hi Bella!" she exclaimed and hugged me, the cafeteria happening totally forgotten on her side. Then she turned to Edward, and I changed my mind; it wasn't _totally_ forgotten.

"Edward." She said stiffly, giving him a cold look, and then turned back to me again, and then suddenly, she was like Alice again.

"So, will you come over to our house today?? Please, please _pretty_ please, can you??" she pleaded and looked at me with puppy eyes, puppy eyes she knew I couldn't refuse. I sighed in defeat, and before I could answer, she squealed of happiness.

"Thanks! I'll see you after your last class!" she said and began to skip away in the hall like a little girl. I frowned in confusion.

"But I didn't answer you!" I called after her. She stopped skipping and turned around, and I could see her excited grin.

"I know you didn't, but I already know the answer." she said, and with that, she turned around again, and rounded the corner. I stared after her with a slight frown on my face, then sighed and told Edward goodbye as I began to walk to P.E. Alice will always be Alice…

Just as Edward was away, and I thought I could walk peacefully to the gymnasium, Mike suddenly appeared on my right, and began to jabber on like we we're best buddies. I groaned, and just tried to ignore his annoying babbling.

***After P.E.***

Coach blew in his whistle and told everyone that the lesson had ended. I made a small sigh of relief and began to walk to the dressing rooms, happy to change. But suddenly someone put their hand on my shoulder and stopped me. I turned around, and there Coach stood himself.

"Miss Swan, Mr. Smith wanted you to talk to you, so change and go straight to his classroom." He said- no, ordered me. If it was another teacher, I would've protested, but not coach. He was almost as big as Emmet, but his hard face and attitude made him so unlike Emmet in every way. He was almost like a mean Emmet, which in my record, doesn't exist (unless he betrays you and throw you to the sharks with the pink heels who do makeovers on you for 3 hours straight). I sighed and began to drag myself to the dressing room. After changing, I began to move to the school buildings as fast as I could, wanting it to be over as soon as possible. But then I saw Alice standing in the parking lot, and I remembered that she was waiting on me. I rushed over to her as fast as I could, trying not to trip and fall in the progress. As I reached her, I saw small disappointment in her face.

"I'm sorry Alice, I have to go and do something. You guys can go to your place in the meantime." I said and smiled apologetically at her. She pouted, not being as excited as she had earlier this afternoon, but nodded in understanding. I thanked her and began to walk back to the school building again, feeling how rage now slowly built inside of me. When I reached Smith's classroom, I was just about to bang on the door with all my might, but he opened it before my knuckle could make contact with the wood of the door. I stepped inside his small office, and walked over to the chair he motioned me to sit in. I avoided eye contact with him, and sat down in the chair. He closed the door and sat down behind his desk. I looked up at him and met his golden eyes. We started at each other for a silent moment, and I after a moment, I sighed deeply.

"Well? What do you want?" I asked through gritted teeth, glaring coldly at him. He just stared at me at first, looking like a statue without motions. But after a small moment, his face became filled with emotions, and his eyes filled with worry and concern. _Oh, here we go again…_

"Am worried about you Sta-" he said, but as soon as the S was out of his mouth I rose from my chair and began to move towards the door.

"Where are you going??" he asked and stood up as well. I turned around and gave him the coldest glare I could manage.

"I'm going to get Stacy for you. It's obviously her you want to talk to, so just forget me and go and find Stacy, and I will help you find her." I said, and was just about to open the door, he was there. His cold hand grabbed my arm and stopped me to open the door.

"I'm sorry Bella. Please, let me talk."

"No." I answered and tried to move my hand, but it was useless. "Let go off me! I don't even like you! I _hate_ you! I hate you so-"I began to scream, and suddenly, I was pressed against the wall, Smith holding his hands on both sides of my head to prevent me from escaping. He was close, _too close_ if you ask me, and his face was inches away from mine. I did _not_ like this.

"Bella," he said, his cold, sweet smelling breath blowing into my face. "I'm worried about you. When I heard that you passed out…well I was miserable. I was worried sick about you. And when I saw you together with…with _him_…well, it didn't make it better. And when that _boy_ talked about how he dreamed about you…it made me furious. He has no right to dream about you, you're too marvelous to be in a dream in a head like his. He doesn't deserve you. You're too good for him." Smith said, and his pressure on the wall increased. I felt how the wall cracked, and Smith swiftly eased the pressure again. I glared at him, and then pushed him away from me. This made me angry. How dare he tell me who deserves me and who don't? To my surprise, he moved when I pushed him away, and I escaped from him and moved away as far as I could.

"Don't tell me who's worth me and who's not. I'm perfectly capable to do that myself, thank you." I said, glaring at him. He looked hurt by my words, and then a question bubbled to my lips.

"Was it you who made that loud bang??" I asked him, and saw how embarrassment filled his features.

"Yes, that was me." He said and looked down at the floor.

"What did you break?" I asked, I saw how he cracked a smile and looked up at me.

"That," he said smiling."Will remain as a secret."

"Okay, good to know. May I leave??" I asked, suddenly feeling very eager to get out of there. His smile faded and then he suddenly looked very serious.

"Sure, just promise me one thing." He said and I began to walk to the door.

"What??" I asked, not wanting to agree to anything before I knew what it was.

"Please stay away from Edward Cullen. He's trouble." He said, and I didn't see his face, but I was sure it was hard and serious. _My_ face was angry and mad.

"No." I said through gritted teeth and opened the door.

"Why?? Why can't you stay away from him?" Smith asked in a groan, and I knew the exact answer to that question.

"Because I love him." I said, and then I began to run. As I slammed the door after me, I heard the small growl that escaped Fishy's lips, and the loud bang that followed. I ran as fast as I could, not looking back.

***Later***

Turns out, I can't run down a pair of stairs. I was almost at the parking lot, which was empty to my delight, when the three-stepped stairs came. Forgotten what a klutz I am, I continued to run. Not smart. I fell hard down at the cement, and winced as my face hit the ground.

"Ouch…" I mumbled and rubbed my head where I had hit it. I crawled to my knees and was just about to stand up, when a hand appeared in front of me. I took it gratefully and the unknown person helped me up.

"Thanks." I said, my cheeks burning of embarrassment. I avoided eye contact, and walked away.

"You're welcome." A male voice I didn't recognize answered, chuckling slightly. That only made my want to get to my car even faster. As I got in, I put the heaters on and started the old truck and made my way over to the Cullen's house.

***At the Cullen's***

I knocked one time at the door, and a few seconds later, the door opened. Alice stood in the doorway, and she looked all exited…until she saw my face. She gasped in horror, and dragged me into the house.

"What happened?? It looks like someone beat you up!" She exclaimed as I removed my jacket. "I knew something bad was going to happen…" she mumbled to herself.

"Nothing happened, I just fell." I said, and just as those words were out of my mouth, Edward came down the stairs.

"Bella!" He called happily, looking as excited as Alice had, and just like her, his face fell and he looked horrified.

"What happened?!" he asked just like his sister, and I almost grinned at their similarities. They we're strangely alike, even though they weren't related at all.

"I fell. It's okay, really." I said and I followed the two of them into the living room. But when we entered, I felt I could melt through the floor. In the sofas we're the whole family except Emmet, together with Jasper and Rosalie. All of them gasped when they saw me, and Esme rose from her seat, rushing over to me.

"Oh dear! What happened to you?" She asked in a motherly tone like she always did. Esme was the best mother a child could ever have. Not that Renée is a bad mother, but Esme is so loving and caring about her children, even though they're adopted, and every time I visit them, she treats me like her own. I still think it's sad that she can't have any babies of her own though…

"I'm okay, I promise. I just fell." I said, hopefully for the last time, and sat down in the sofa next to Alice. They we're watching some movie, but all their attentions seemed to be on me, and not the TV…

Emmet entered the room then, in his hands he held a gigantic sandwich, and he was watching it lovingly. He sat down in the couch next to Rose and then took a big bite of it, chewing slowly, enjoying the taste of it. Was I really like him when I ate???  
He finally looked up from his sandwich, and then he noticed me in the room.

"Oh, hi there Bells, didn't see you there." HE said and smiled. Then, he took another bite of his sandwich and turned to the TV to watch the movie no one really paid attention too. After 10 seconds, his head quickly turned to me. His eyes became wide when he saw my bruises, and put away his sandwich on the sofa table. Then, his expression turned dark, and he took one of his hands, made it into a fist and hit it against his other palm.

"Okay Bells, whose ass am I kicking??" he asked, and his scary expression made chills go down my spine. He somehow reminded me of coach, which was _really_ scary…

"No one; I fell." I said swiftly, starting to get nervous. He stared at me, and then he laughed, going back to his old self.

"Hah, trust Bella to fall and make it look like someone beat her up. What, did you fall from the roof?" He asked, chuckling in the progress. I blushed as I answered.

"No, a stair." I said.

"What was it, 9 flights of stairs??"

I bit my lip. This was going to amuse him for a month.

"3 steps." I said in a low voice. He began to laugh like I had predicted, but he was soon silenced by Rose, who smacked him in the back of his head.

"Ouch!" he complained, but didn't say anything more. We watched the movie for a while, but I didn't understand the plot at all. Suddenly, Alice stood up next to me.

"Come on Bella, let's go." She said and dragged me up with her. I frowned at her, not really wanting to follow if it was a makeover she was planning.

"Come _where_ exactly??" I asked, and it made her chuckle slightly.

"To my room, silly." She said, and began to drag me up the stairs. I sighed and began to prepare for the torture that was waiting. She opened the doors to her room and entered it. I followed her, and she closed the doors after me. But to my surprise, she didn't lock the doors as she always did when she did makeovers in me. Some hope started to build inside me and watched her as she threw herself onto her gigantic bed.

"Come on Bella, I won't bite." She said and grinned. I sat down on the edge of her bed, uncertain of what she wanted.

"Alright, I'll get straight to the point. You know these…feelings I get, right??" she asked. I nodded, wondering where she was getting with this.

"Okay. Well, the thing is, I noticed a change today. Now when you got back…I noticed a change with you and Edward and I can't really understand what it is." she said, and watched me, lost in thought. "What did you do Bella?? Did something happen?? Stupid question, of course something did. Something has happened that will change the future, I can see it, but not what has happened. What happened?" she asked. Before I knew Smith was a vampire and Jake was a werewolf, I thought she just had a super good hunch of what would happen in the future. Now…well, now I think she really can see into the future. I mean, all these kinds of supernatural things are starting to enter my world, so I wouldn't be surprised if it really was like that.

I stared at her for a moment, and then I really started to think. What had happened today that would change the future between me and Edward?? I thought through what had happened this day, and when I was halfway through, I remembered.

"Eh…I think I know what happened." I said, staring at my hands.

"What then??" she asked, starting to sound impatient. I took a deep breath and then looked up into her eyes.

"I think I'm in love with your brother." I said, my cheeks getting a little red when I said it. She stared at me for a small moment, and then she sighed.

"Finally!"

**Playlist: Brick by boring brick – Paramore**

**A/N: Ahhh, wasn't that cute?? Our rather slow main character ****finally**** realize she's in love…  
I would like to thank all of you who have reviewed and story alerted this story! You guys are the best!  
For you who wonders, the prequel ****will**** be written (I'm really trying to write something that will not end up like mush), but I'll try to write at least one chapter before Christmas :D  
I hope you liked the chapter! Please review!! //RF**


	4. Food fights and dirty tricks

**A/N: Hi! Thanks for reviewing and story alerting He's back; it means a lot to me. Here it is, I hope you'll enjoy it!**

**Disclaimer: *sighs* I don't understand…who doesn't know that SM owns Twilight and Mr. Smith belongs to me??**

**Chapter 4: Food fights and dirty tricks**

**BPOV**

"Hey…what do you mean finally?" I asked and looked at her, frowning. I had just confessed I loved her brother, which I recently had discovered myself that I did, and she talks about it like she's known it for centuries. "Does this have to do with something about that rumor you spread??" I asked, and Alice rolled her eyes at me dramatically.

"Of course silly, what did you think??" She said and then giggled. "Oh, this is going to be so much fun! I get to dress you up and plan Edward and your dates and-"she said, but I stopped her right there.

"What?? Wait a minute. You knew I was in love with Edward before I did? And what do you mean with 'plan my and Edwards dates'? What if he doesn't even like me back??"

She rolled her eyes again, and then took a deep breath and looked at me like she was a teacher and I was the 5 year old student who didn't understand a simple math problem she already had explained 9 timed earlier.

"Bella, what did I tell you before?? You know; the feelings I get and stuff??" she asked in a sugar sweet voice, hearing how her patient sank lower each second with me.

"You mean the psychic stuff??" I asked, rather call it that then "feelings". Her eyes grew wide, and then a smile painted her lips.

"Yes! Yes that's exactly what I meant. Nobody has ever called me that…but I kind of like It." she said and smiled happily at me. "Anyways," she said, shaking her head swiftly to prevent her to sink into her dream world. "I told you about the psychic stuff. And the psychic stuff involves…kind of seeing the future." She said, meeting my eyes to analyze my reaction. I stared back at her, waiting for her to continue. It wasn't _that_ weird. I mean, I already knew about her 'feelings', and her seeing the future isn't that strange…_anymore. _

"Yeah, and?" I asked, making gestures with my hands for her to continue.

"Well, it's not like the feelings…it's more like getting pictures into your head, telling you what will happen." She told me and then, she just stared at the wall for a second, seeming to be far away. Then she snapped her head back to me, and she grinned.

"Like now, for example. I just saw that Edward will come up in about 7 minutes to check on you so I hadn't tortured you." She said, and rolled her eyes. "He's always so worried about you…" She mumbled and looked at her hands.

"Well? You haven't answered my question; did you know that I was in love with Edward before I did??" I asked again, and when she looked up at me now, she was smiling, with small irritation behind the smile.

"Well, I kind of found that out about 3 days before I started to spread the rumor." She said, and I glared at her.

"That was _3_ weeks ago." I said with great irritation. "How come you didn't understand when it happened today??" I asked.

"Well…" she said, and suddenly she looked extremely embarrassed. "I kind of had a test so…" she said, trailing off as she fidgeted with her hands, not meeting my gaze.

"…You cheated on a test??" I asked, imagining Alice, sitting in a classroom, using her supernatural powers to get an A+.

"Yeah, kind of. But it was so hard!" She exclaimed and pouted. "I used all my concentration on the test, and because of that, I didn't see the little 'happening' between you and my brother."She explained to me, and then she suddenly remembered my other question.

"And for your other question, it's simple. We can even test it out if you like." She said and grinned evilly, obviously having a master plan in her mind.

"Eh, it's okay." I said a little bit too quickly. "I just wanted to know how you knew."

She sighed, disappointed about my rejection, but answered anyway. "Seriously Bella, are you blind?" She asked and raised one eyebrow at me. "That kid has liked you since he was 3." She said.

"Alice, I didn't _know_ him when I was 3." I said, pointing out the obvious. She rolled her eyes at me.

"Alright, alright. But don't you get my point? That boy has loved you since the first time he saw you." She said, and I thought back at those 'old'- well, kind of new for me- memories. The smile on the small boy I played with in the playground. He helped me whenever I fell, he asked me every time I seemed down, and always tried to make me feel as comfortable as possible. I snapped out of my memories, and understood that she was right.

"Okay, I was going to tell you more, but Edward is apparently determined to get you out of here, even if he has to drag you, so I guess I can't stop him." She said, and then she shrugged. "But one makeover would be fun…" she said and crooked her head to the side, trying to get her way with the puppy eyes, but it wasn't working.

"No, absolutely not. And when is Edward coming here??" I asked, and Alice grinned slightly.

"Want me to count down for ya?" she asked, wanting to show off her psychic skills. Before I could answer, she answered herself for me.

"Of course you do, who wouldn't? Okay, in 5…4…3…2…1-"She counted, and just as she had said one, the door opened, and a green eyed god entered the door. His eyes instantly met mine, and a small smile started to creep on my lips. I vaguely saw how Alice rolled her eyes at us in the corner of my eye, but couldn't care less. Edward smiled my favorite crooked smile, and it made me all warm inside.

"There you are." He said and began to walk over to the bed.

"You _could_ knock, you know that?" Alice said rather bitterly, and the second later, I understood why. She was still angry at him.

"Of course I do, sis. It's just that it's _so_ much more fun to irritate you." He said and chuckled. Alice glared at her brother, and then turned to me.

"Please don't leave me for him." She pleaded and made the puppy eyes again, except this time, she used them on me with full effect. I stared back at her, feeling how the guilt inside me grew. But Edward wasn't having that. Alice was serious when she said 'even drag you out', and I was really surprised when I suddenly felt how he lifted me up and hung me over his shoulder.

"I guess I'll just take this and leave. Thank you Alice for not torturing her while I was gone." He said, and then turned around. I saw how Alice sat on her bed, slightly pouting in disappointment, but Edward closed the door before I could see anything more. Edward might've not been as strong as Emmet, but he still had some muscles of his own. When he reached his room, he put me down on the ground, and I glared at him.

"Do I have to make a sign where is says that you can't lift me up and take me wherever you please??" I asked, and he laughed.

"Sorry Bella, my bad." He said and walked inside, me following him.

***Later***

We spent the rest of the day in Edward's room, hanging out. As we talked, a small voice in my mind reminded me constantly; _You love him, you love him_. And I always blushed slightly at my new discovery, but never told him. Time went, and suddenly, we heard a small crack outside; thunder.

"Are you okay??" Edward asked and put one hand on my shoulder. The rain outside had increased under the day, and was now pouring down. They weather broadcast had said a small thunderstorm was coming to town, but I guess 'small' meant, big in their world. The wind was shaking the trees outside, and I guessed that if I had gone outside that moment, I would've blown away with the wind. But I wasn't afraid. I was actually angry. Before, I related thunder with fear and darkness. I also thought I'd been afraid for thunder all my life; I was wrong. It started last year really, when I had visited my mother in phoenix. I fell down the stairs on my way to my room, and fell out of a window. I had to stay hospitalized for weeks, and then suddenly a man visited me one night. He was more beautiful than any human I've ever seen, black curly hair and topaz eyes. That night, thunder had rumbled outside, and ever since he took away my memories, I had always had this creepy feeling whenever it thundered. Before the memory-swiping, I didn't exactly like thunder, but after that night at the hospital, it became worse, much worse…

And now?? Now I only think about that annoying bastard who took away my memories. Ever since I got them back, thunder didn't bother me anymore. Not a bit.

"Never been better." I said and smiled at him, reassuring me that I was fine. He watched me with concerned eyes as we continued our conversation, and at last, I couldn't take it anymore.

"Edward, I'm okay, I promise. You don't have to worry; I won't start to scream all suddenly and run around like a crazy person. It went away." I said and shrugged. He raised his eyebrows and looked at me with a surprised face.

"Really??" He asked and I nodded. Then, he smiled at me, which made a thrilling feeling grown inside of me, and he gave me a small hug.

"I'm glad you're not scared anymore." He said and I hugged him back, loving the warmth he gave me. A sudden knock on the door made me jump a little in surprise, and we didn't really get the time to separate, so when Emmet entered…let's just say that he has some good imagination.

He stood in the doorway, wide eyed and jaw at the floor. At some point, he regained his talking ability's, and began to laugh.

"Oh, hi bro. I was going to tell you two that dinner was ready, but I see that you're busy so…"he said and began to walk away, giggling.

"Emmet, get back here!" Me and Edward shouted together, and let go of each other as he re-entered.

"What is it? I'm giving you two lovebirds some space here!"He said and laughed again. I blushed, even though we weren't an actual couple. Edward rolled his eyes at his brother and stood up, dragging me up with him.

"Emmet, cut it out. And you will _not_ talk about this at the dinner table." He said and even though he used his unusual cold, scary voice, Emmet didn't flinch. He just grinned slyly, and nodded.

"I won't." he said, and walked away. Edward sighed to himself, and then turned to me.

"Sorry about that. Let's go downstairs, it's time for dinner." He said and took my hand, which I appreciated happily. When we reached the dining room, I saw that the rest of the family already was seated. Emmet was sitting next to Rose, and he started to chuckle as we entered. Alice, who sat next to Jasper, glared at Edward, still not happy with him. Esme smiled warmly hearted at the two of us, and Carlisle gave us a small smile as well.

"There you are! Emmet saw a Christmas show on TV last night, so he made me make turkey for dinner today. I hope you're hungry." She said as we sat down. Emmet licked his mouth as he watched the turkey in front of him, and I really hoped he had forgotten the scene in Edward's room he just had seen. Trust Emmet to overreact over a small hug. That was a thing that Emmet could do, and I was sure I didn't want to make more of a fool out of myself today. That fall I made earlier today wasn't the most embarrassing thing I've done, but it was really humiliating. My bruises weren't that big, not really.

Emmet looked at the turkey longingly, and I sighed in relief, hoping that he would've forgotten the hug by now. I was wrong. A mean smile twisted his lips and he cleared his throat to get everyone's attention.

"So, do you want to know what I witnessed today??" He asked, and without getting any answer, he continued. My face got hot, and Edward glared at his brother. "Well, I was on my why to-"He said, but got interrupted (thankfully) by Alice, who had thrown a potato at him.

"Continue your sentence, and you'll be _sorry_." She said in a threatening tone, which made chills go up my spine. I wondered why this mattered to her? Esme gasped as she watched the scene before her.

"Alice! What are you doing?! You do _not_ throw food at each other! And I don't like that tone of yours either, Miss. We have guests here!" She said in a harsh tone, and she sounded just like a mother should. Emmet chuckled a little, and Esme glared at him.

"This is _not_ funny young man! Now clean it up!" She said, and her angry tone made her sound more scare than ever.

"But it's just one potat-"Emmet began.

"_Now._" She said, and the two siblings rose from their seats and began to clean up what Alice had thrown at him. Esme took a few deep breaths and then turned to me.

"I'm sorry honey. Sometimes it seems that they've been raised by a pack of wolves." She said and smiled apologetically. Carlisle laughed, and I turned my gaze to him.

"This reminds me of what happened last Christmas, doesn't it?" He asked Esme, and she smiled; her thoughts far away as she remembered about the memory Carlisle was referring to. I frowned.

"What happened then??" I asked, and all of them looked at me. I blushed slightly, feeling stupid for asking. Alice and Emmet sat down now, their cleaning job done.

"Well, we we're sitting down eating our Christmas dinner, when suddenly, Emmet decided to ruin our dinner, by throwing a tomato at his Alice. She got furious, even though he missed her, and began to yell at him how he could've ruined her dress. They began to fight, and throw food at each other, and no matter how much we screamed at them to stop. At last, I walked out of the room, and called Rosalie and Jasper. They hurried over, and when they got here and saw what had happened...well, it was actually fun to see Alice and Emmet's faces when they saw their partners stand there. Rosalie was furious at Emmet, which was understandable. Jasper had just shaken his head, grinning. Both Alice and Emmet were highly embarrassed, and had to clean it all up." Edward told me, and I grinned. Alice and Emmet were still glaring at each other.

"Oh, here we are, sitting and telling Christmas stories in September. Please, help yourselves." Esme said, and we all started to eat.

***After dinner***

"Edward, may I have a word with you??" Alice asked as we rose and began to walk away. "Alone." She added, smiling apologetically at me. Edward sighed, and put a hand on my shoulder.

"Go to the living room for now, I'll be right with you." He said and began to walk over to his sister, who grabbed the edge of his shirt and dragged him around the corner . I shrugged and followed Emmet, Rosalie and Jasper out to the living room.

**EPOV**

"Edward, may I have a word with you??" My hugely annoying sister called from the kitchen as Bella and I began to walk to the living room. We turned around to see her, and I gave her a small glare. "Alone." She added, smiling apologetically at Bella. I sighed in defeat, and put one hand on Bella's shoulder.

"Go to the living room for now, I'll be right with you." I told her in a soft voice, not wanting to affect her with my bad mood. I began to walk over to Alice, and before I could say anything, she grabbed my shirt and dragged me around the corner.

"Hey!" I complained as she let me go, glaring at her. She rolled her eyes at me and crossed her arms in front of her.

"Stop being such a baby and listen." She said, her voice filled with excitement. Wait…excitement? Wasn't she pissed at me?

"I just found out the best thing in the world that will change your future forever." She said, and a smile crept over her face. I frowned at her strange behavior.

"What are you talking about??" I asked, and a sly smile swept over the happy one.

"I will tell you…if you will do something for me." She said, and I sighed and turned.

"You're making no sense, I'm going." I said, but one word made me turn.

"Bella." She said and I stopped dead in my tracks. "It's about Bella." She said again, and I turned back to my short older sister. She was still smiling her sly smile, and I felt defeated as I walked back to her, walking right into her trap.

"Alright, what is it??"I asked, feeling the curiosity burning inside of me. Her smile grew, and she dropped her arms from its hold.

"I'll tell you what I've seen if you do something for me later." She said. I thought about it for a small second; if it really was a good idea to do it, but the curiosity hadn't faded, it had rather grown. Besides, it was _my_ future she was talking about, and it was something about Bella. Good or bad?? I just had to find out, hadn't I??

"Alright, sure. Now, what did you see??" I asked, aching to know. Her smile changed from sly to happy again, and she looked like she could burst.

"Well…I don't know if I should say this…" She said, frowning as she looked at her hands

"Alice." I said in a threatening tone, and she looked at me.

"Alright, fine. I saw that she liked you as you liked her." She said, and my heart jumped out of my chest in joy. She…what?

"Anyways," She continued, sounding as happy as I felt. "You did _not_ hear this from me. Are we clear?" She asked and I nodded one sharp. I may've not smiled, but I was so happy that I could've burst out in tears of happiness.

"Good. Oh, and just one more thing; you have to confess soon, or the future will change." She said, and she began to skip away towards the living room, moves so gracefully a dancer would cry in envy. I was happier than ever, but I still wondered one thing.

"Alice?" I called, and she stopped and turned, eyebrows raised in wonder.

"What is it?" She asked.

"What was it that you wanted me to do??" I asked, and just before the words were out of my mouth, she was smiling.

"I'll tell you tomorrow." She said, and then she was dancing out of the room, leaving me in wonder. Bella was going to like me the way I like her. But… but I love her. Does that mean that we'll be together?? And she said I had to confess or it will change… Why couldn't Alice have explained more?

**BPOV**

"Bella! I have to talk to you!" Alice called happily as she danced into the room, her moves as graceful as ever.

"Eh…okay?" I answered, even though it sounded more like a question. She took my hand and dragged me up to her room once again. She closed the door, and this time, she locked it. Fear crawled up my spine, and before I could ask, she laughed.

"No, I'm not going to do makeovers on you…today." She said and it made me able to breathe again.

"Okay…what do you want then??" I asked, confused. She walked over to her mirror and began to fix with her makeup as she talked to me.

"I had a new vision just now." She said, and she looked at me through the mirror. "It was about you and Edward." As soon as his name was out, she had all my attention.

"What about it??" I asked, and then I remembered her, talking to him just now. "Was that the thing you talked with Edward about??" I asked, and I felt slight worry. Had she told him I loved him?

"Oh, no I didn't." She said, and then she walked away from the mirror and walked into her giant closet. I followed her, and I saw how she rummaged through the racks of clothes, searching for something.

"Well," I began hesitantly, not knowing if it was something I was not supposed to know. "What was it about??"

Her smile was sly now as she dug out a pair of shoes from the bottom of a shelf and began to look on another place in her gigantic kingdom of clothes.

"I'll tell you…if you'll do something for me later." She said slyly. I swallowed.

"Do _what_ exactly?" I asked suspiciously.

"I can't tell you now. Take it or leave it." She said, and my aching curiosity made me answer her a few seconds later.

Okay, fine. I'll do whatever you want me to. Now, what did you see?" As I had answered, she smiled happily.

"You and he will love each other in the future, but if you don't confess soon, something will happen that will make that impossible." She said, and I immediately began to think of Smith, ruining everything for me.

"That's what you saw??" I asked, and she nodded. A small rasp on the door made her drop the shoes on the ground and run fast to open it. In the doorway was no one else than Jasper. Smiling, he hugged her to him, and she hugged back. Okay, time for me to get out of here.

"Eh, I'll guess I'll see you later. Bye." I said and began to walk past them, but Alice stopped me, calling my name.

"Bella, will you stay the night?? Please say you will!" She pleaded, and she was soon out of Jasper's arms to hold my hands in her, looking at me with puppy eyes. I avoided her gaze and looked out the window, which gave me my answer.

"Eh, I think I will." I said, chills going down my spine by just thinking about going out in _that_.

"Eh? This is, like, the first time I don't have to convince you to stay." She said, frowning.

"Well honestly, I don't think my truck can make it through that." I said and pointed at the window, the wind picking up just as she looked just to prove my point.

"Oh, I see. Well, it's going to be fun, right??" She asked, and bounced back to Jasper, who smiled at me.

"Yeah, I guess." I said, and began to walk away from her room.

"See you later." Jasper called after me before he closed the door.

"See you." I called back, even though he wouldn't hear me. I walked down to the living room, and found Esme and Carlisle there in the sofa, watching some old, romantic movie. They looked up as they saw me, and they smiled wholeheartedly at me. I smiled back slightly.

"Hi there Bella. Are you looking for Edward? He's in his room." Esme said in a friendly tone.

"Eh, no. But that's good to know too. I was actually looking for you." I said, my voice quiet from the shyness. Both of them looked extremely surprised to hear that.

"Oh, what do you want then??" Carlisle asked.

"I was wondering if I could stay the night, the thunderstorm outside is getting worse, and I don't think my truck can make it." I said truthfully, and as soon as my question was out, Esme smiled motherly.

"Well, of course you can dear. No problem at all. It's getting crowded in this house. Jasper, Rosalie and now you."She said and chuckled to herself.

"Are they staying tonight as well??" I asked, not very surprised.

"Well yes, they are."She said and smiled at me. "I'm sure Alice has something in her closet that'll fit you." Carlisle said and he and Esme laughed at their daughters shopping habits. I stretched my smile a little and thanked them as I walked up to Edward's room. I only had to wait a few seconds for the door to open, and in the doorway he stood, his bronze hair messy and his green eyes filled with happiness.

"Bella!"he exclaimed happily and pulled me to his chest, hugging me tightly. I hugged back, and I felt happier than ever, but suddenly, Alice words came back to me; _You and he will love each other in the future, but if you don't confess soon, something will happen that will make that impossible…_

I stiffened, and Edward felt it, because he let go of me, closed the door, and then looked me in the eye, his worry written all over his face.

"What is it Bella?" He asked and leaded me to his leather couch and we sat down. "Please tell me. And don't say it's nothing, because I'll know you're lying." He said, and I almost laughed. Actually, any person on the planet would see when I lied.

_You should tell him the truth. It's now or never._ The small voice in the back of my head told me and I sighed, understanding that it was right. I took a deep breath and looked into his eyes. I was sure I would drown in them, since I didn't bring a lifebuoy with me, but I tried my best to survive.

"Edward…I need to tell you something." I said, and then looked away, figuring I would drown in his eyes anyway, and looked down at my hands instead.

"What is it Bella?" He sounded even more worried now, and I took another deep breath before I said it.

"I-I think I love you." I stammered, and my unsure voice made it sound utterly ridiculous. But the smile on Edward's face told me that he _didn't _think it was utterly ridiculous.

**EPOV**

"I-I think I love you." As soon as those words were out of her mouth, I felt how my soul lifted from my body and went to heaven. I was the happiest man on earth. How could someone so beautiful, wonderful, kind and helpful love someone like _me_?? I was speechless. At last, I managed to bark a small chuckle. She frowned at me.

"You _think_ you love me?" I asked, finding her choice of words rather funny.

Her face got bright red, but she didn't answer. Instead, she looked down at her hands instead.

"Well, I got news for you; I _think_ I love you too." I said and smiled happily at her. She looked up at me again, and this time, her face was filled with shock.

"What?" She asked. I laughed at her.

"What do you mean 'what'? You're the only one who's allowed to love someone here?? I'll say it again a little bit clearly; I love you Isabella Marie Swan." I said, and smiled at her, feeling so happy at the moment. Her reaction shocked us both.

She threw herself on me, hugging me tightly to her. I kissed her softly on her head, and she rested her head on my chest. It felt so right; even though we'd just confessed our love for each other a few seconds ago, it felt so right. Like we had been lovers for years…

"Sorry about that." She mumbled, and I was sure she was blushing.

"It's okay." I said as I stroked her hair gently.

**BPOV**

I couldn't have been happier. Alice was right. We did love each other. And nothing could ruin this moment. Nothing at al-

A knock on the door made me stiffen. Edward pulled us into a more sitting position, sighing as he did and then called to the person in an irritated voice. "Come in."

When Alice skipped inside, I wasn't surprised.

"Don't look so miserable; I only came to drop off this." She said to her brother and placed the clothes she had been carrying on the edge of the bed and then turned back to the door.

"But where am I going to sleep??" I asked her just before she was out the door. She turned back and rolled her eyes at me.

"In here of course, silly. I'm going now, so goodnight."She said and closed the door as she exited the room. I looked at the clock on the wall. Wow, 24:20 already…

"You can use the bathroom to change." Edward offered and I gratefully scoped the Pajama kit with me as I excused myself.

***After changing***

"Are you done??" Edward called from outside.

I stared at myself in the mirror. No, definitely _not_ okay to go out there in. "No." I said and I heard his sigh outside.

"I can't come outside." I said and looked at the highly embarrassing outfit I was wearing.

"Why not?" he asked, sounding confused again.

"I just can't." I said stubbornly and washed my face.

"…did you fall into the toilet _this_ time??" he asked, and it made me remember when I had my epiphany in the school bathrooms.

"No, I just _can't_ come out." I said, a little bit angrier than I meant because if the irritation I felt for Alice at the moment.

"I'm sure you're fine. Just please come out." He pleaded outside the door, but there was no way in _hell_ I was going to wear this in front of him. Nu-uh, no way.

"No, but if you want to do something for me, you can go and kill your sister." I said bitterly.

"Who, Alice??" he asked, which was rather idiotic if you ask me.

"No, I meant Emmet." I replied sarcastically and rolled my eyes, even though he couldn't see it. There was silence on the other side of the door now, and I wondered what he was doing. If I knew him right, he hadn't given up yet. A small knock on the door proved my point, and I sighed deeply.

"No Edward, I won't let you in." I said and quietly cursed at Alice for putting us in such a situation.

"Bella, open the door. I have some clothes here for you." He said and he got my attention.

"You have to promise to close your eyes as I open." I said as I walked over to the door, slowly unlocking it.

"I promise." He said, and I opened the door. There he stood, in a T-shirt and sweatpants, holding a pair of sweatpants in his arms and a T-shirt. I quickly took them from him and ran back inside, locking the door after me. I practically threw off the embarrassing clothes Alice had given me and put his T-shirt on. It was, as expected, way too big for me but it was either this or Alice's choice so…

The sweatpants were big as well, and I had to fold the edge of them up so I wouldn't trip on my way out. I unlocked the door and entered his room, carrying the things Alice had given me. Once I got out, I dumped them in the corner of the sofa, and then went to sit next to Edward.¨

"Hi." I greeted him and yawned loudly. He laughed at this.

"Hello to you too." He replied and smiled.

"So…where am I crashing??" I asked, which sounded kind of wrong; it didn't sound like something I'd normally say…

"Well," he said, his forehead creasing as he thought. "It's the couch, the floor or my bed. The floor would be kind of uncomfortable, if you ask me." He said and grinned.

"Eh…the bed is big enough for both of us, right??" I asked and looked back at his king sized bed. Yeah, it was _definitely_ big enough.

"Yes, but it's your choice. I understand if you'd be uncomfortable, sleeping in the same bed as me." He said, and even though he had said that, I saw some sadness in his eyes, not completely guarded. I thought about it, but the awkwardness of lying in the same bed as him (which I had already done, but still) was to embarrassing, so I had to decline.

"If it's no problem, I'd like to sleep on the couch…" I trailed off. He smiled a soft smile and gave me a small hug.

"Okay, sure. I'll just go and get you a quilt. I'll be right back." He said and exited through the door. A few minutes, he re-entered with a pillow and a quilt and some sheets and helped me put the sheet in its place. In the matter of minutes, we we're done and we we're lying in our beds, the only light in the room was the moon outside.

"Goodnight Bellie." Edward said, and I replied him sleepy.

"Goodnight."

I was soon in deep sleep, and my dream begun. It didn't seem like a nightmare at first. It was actually nice.

***Dream***

_I was running down the meadow, it was summer and the flowers in the field were in high bloom. I didn't fall to my surprise, and I was wearing a white summer dress. Lots of butterflies we're flying around in the meadow, and the grass was green. I stopped running, closed my eyes and took a deep breath. It smelled wonderful in the air; like all kinds of flowers, the smell of newly cut grass and trees. When I opened them, I saw something that made my heart go warm; Edward. I began to run towards him, and as soon as he saw me, a beautiful smile crossed his features, and he began to run towards me as well. When we met, he hugged me tightly to his chest and began to spin around, my feet swinging around above the ground. Then he stopped, and put his hands on each side of my face and kissed me. The kiss was warm and gentle, and it made the world spin. He pulled away, and I opened my eyes to look at him. This is when it changed to wonderful dream to nightmare. Before me, was Smithy, __his cold __hands on each side of my face, his topaz eyes shining with happiness. He was glittering, just like he did in the real world when the sun hit him, and a pride smile painted his lips._

"_Oh honey, I love you so much." He said, his voice filled with love. I tried to get away, but his hold on me was as hard as stone, and no matter how hard I hit him, his hold never budged. _

"_Oh Bella, you and I will be together forever…"_

_Forever…_

_Forever…_

_Forever…_

I woke up with a small scream, and I was sweating and breathing heavily. I shivered as I thought back on that terrible dream. I lay back on my pillow, and tried to fall asleep, but as soon as I did, those horrible pictures came rushing back into my head. I sighed and opened my eyes, looking out the window. Silent tears ran down my cheeks; of shock I guess, and a small sob escaped me. When a pair of hands touched my shoulder, I couldn't help but to give a small shriek. Edward's face was barely seen in the darkness, but the moon was a big help. His were sleepy, but I could still see the worry in them.

"Are you alright Bella? Did you have a nightmare?"He asked in a concerned whisper and frowned at me.

"Yeah. Sorry if I woke you up."I apologized and wiped my tears away. He sighed and then suddenly dragged the covers off from me.

"Hey! What are you doing?" I hissed as he threw the quilt onto his bed. He took my hand and dragged me out of my bed and gave me a hug.

"Come here." He said and led me over to his bed. He lay down in it, and at this moment, I really didn't care anymore. Now, my worries seemed stupid. Or maybe I thought it was stupid because I was scared shitless and wanted some sleep…anyhow, I lay down next to him and took my quilt again.

"Sorry…" I apologized again sleepily and snuggled up beside him. He hugged me slightly and whispered soothing words to me until I fell asleep.

**A/N: Ah…they slept in the same bed after all… :D (Urg, that dream was just aweful)  
Okay, so this chapter contained, as a lot of you maybe noticed, a little bit of Christmas stories. That's just mainly because it's September in the story and not December, and I don't really want to skip all those months in between just to get to December (But i really wanted to write about Christmas now so...)  
I hoped you liked it, and I'll update in a week or so. Until then, I hope you'll survive! Please review! //RF**


	5. So you where outside my window?

**A/N: Hi! Here's chapter 5, I hope you'll like it. (Sorry, I know it's short)  
Disclaimer: To Smith's despair, it's me, RF, who owns him, not SM. But SM owns twilight, so I think Smith and I got the short straw, and not her **

**Chapter 5: So you where outside my window the whole time???**

**BPOV**

I stirred in the bed as I woke up in the morning the next day. I heard how the rain quietly hit the glass of the window, how the wind blew the tree branches outside…how his breath blew onto my neck, how his arms were folded around me…wait what??

I opened my eyes, and just as I has noticed before, his arms _were_ folded around me, his breath _was_ blowing onto my neck, and he was lying so close…How did I end up on the bed?? Wasn't I lying on the couch? Oh right, I got scared by that freaky nightmare and woke up, and then I crawled down in his bed and fell asleep… I shuddered a little from the awful memory, and then turned my head around to peek at Edward. His eyes were closed and he was breathing slowly and even. I turned back and closed my eyes.

"Are you awake??"Edward suddenly asked, and I kept my eyes closed as I answered, stiffening a yawn.

"No." I mumbled quietly, and knew he was smiling at me.

"Really?? I could swear you turned around 5 minutes ago and looked at me." He said and I could hear his smile in his voice.

"You're imagining things." I answered teasingly and rolled around to look at him. He loosened his grip and smiled as our eyes met.

"Good morning." He greeted me and took one of his hands to remove one strand of hair from my face that had escaped. I smiled at him, and he smiled back.

"Good morning." I said back and then I sat up.

"Your hair looks like a haystack…but I like it." he teased me and I grinned at him as I punched him playfully on his arm.

"Hey, no commenting on my morning hair." I said as I rose from his bed. My legs were feeling strangely cold, and when I looked down, I blushed. I wasn't wearing anything except Edward's T-shirt and a pair of mini-shorts. I looked back at the bed, and as I had expected, there they were; the sweatpants. Edward was staring at me as well, which made me more self-conscious.

"Eh…I'll just go and use the bathroom."I said and half-ran towards his bathroom, taking my clothes from the sofa with me on the way. I had locked the door before he had a chance to answer. I took the liberty to take a small shower, and when I was done, I felt slightly calm again. I dressed quickly, and when I got out, Edward was sitting in the sofa reading, waiting for me. He looked up from his book when he heard me coming, and smiled.

"Ready for breakfast??" He asked as he put the book down and stood up. I was just about to answer, when my stomach decided it was going to answer for me, and growled loudly. I blushed pink as I laughed with embarrassment. Edward just smiled, being the gentleman he is, and took my hand as we began to walk out of the room.

"I take that as a yes." He said and chuckled as we made our way downstairs. When we entered the dining room, we we're greeted by a joyful Esme.

"There you are!" She exclaimed with a warm smile and hugged me, and then her son. "I was wondering when you two we're going to show up."

"Well, here we are." Edward said and grinned at his mother.

"Yes you are. Now, now, sit down and I'll be right back with some breakfast for you." Esme said and pushed me over to the large table to one of the chairs. I sat down in it, and Edward joined me on the opposite side. A small chuckle made me turn my head to the doorway. And guess who's there??

"You two are up late." Emmet snickered and walked into the room. He walked over to me and slung his arm around my shoulders, bending down so he was at my height. "But you know what?? It's okay; I'm sure you two were _busy_ with something else." He said, and took one apple from the bowl in the middle of the table and ran out of the room before Edward or I could respond. Edward was glaring at the empty doorway where he had escaped.

"Emmet, you are so dead."Edward muttered darkly to himself, almost like a reminder to his to-do list. The smell of newly fryed waffles filled the room as Esme entered the room with two plates. She smiled at me as she placed one of them in front of me.

"Here you are honey; I hope you'll like it."

***Later***

"It was delicious Esme." I said honestly as she took my empty plate from me and walked into the kitchen.

"I'm glad you liked it." She called back to me, and I heard how she turned on the tap water, and the scrambling of the plates in the sink. Edward rose from his seat and walked over to me.

"So, what do you want to do today??" He asked and put his arm around my shoulder as we walked out of the dining room.

"I don't know." I said, lost in thought. What could we do?? "Maybe-"I began, but I was interrupted by a sudden knock on the door. Alice, who was sitting in the sofa, reading a fashion magazine, dropped it to the floor, with a small frown on her face.

"I wonder who that can be."She muttered to herself, and followed me and Edward as we walked to the door. The anonym visitor was apparently very impatient, because he/she began to knock on the door again, harder this time. Edward sighed and opened the door. The face outside surprised us all.

"J-Jake?? What are you doing here??" I asked, surprised by the fact that _he_ was _here_. His eyes widened with relief when he saw me, and in one swift move, he moved forward and crushed me into a big hug.

"Bells! You have no idea how happy I am to see you!"He said, his voice somewhat breathless. This was one of these rare occasions when he was wearing a shirt (which I was pretty happy about).

"Jake. Can't. Breathe." I answered him in a strangled voice, which made him drop his hold, and step back.

"What are you doing here?"Edward asked, in a slightly irritated voice. I looked back at him, and his face was hard as stone, no emotions showing. Jake looked at Edward, and his face became as hard as Edward's.

"I'm here to see Bella."He said in a cold voice, and then he turned back to me, and his eyes began to fill with tears.

"Jake, what's the matter?!?"I said, not understanding what was happening. Jake looked at Alice with puppy eyes and he was shaking a little.

"Can I come in??" He asked in a pitiful voice, and Alice face hardened.

"No."She and her brother both answered him in unison, and just as they had answered, a gasp behind us was heard.

"Alice! Edward! What has gotten into you? Of course he can come in! Look at him! He's shaking and crying for goodness sake!" Esme exclaimed, her small heart-shaped face showing compassion and anger. Edward looked away from his mother, clearly not happy with her answer to Jake, and sighed.

***5 minutes later***

"Here you go." Esme said as she gave him a cup of hot coco in the sofa. He was still shaking, and his tear filled eyes made them look like puppy eyes all the time.

"Thank you." He said as she walked away to the kitchen. We all stayed quiet for a while as Jake drank his coco. But my curiosity broke that silence.

"Jake, seriously, what are you doing here??" I asked, and he stopped drinking. He looked me in the eye, and a tear escaped from his eye.

"It was horrible…"He began, his voice shaking. "I was done showering and stepped out of the shower, only wearing a towel and-"

"Do we want to hear this part??"Alice asked with a small frown on her face. Jake turned his head into her direction, and his shaken, scared face became a cold and angry one.

"Do you want me to finish or not?" he retorted back at her. Then it changed back again, and he was the small little boy who lost his lollipop.

"I stepped into my room, just getting ready to get dressed, and there she was!"He exclaimed and covered his face in his hands. All of us stared at him like he was an idiot.

"…who??" I asked, frowning in confusion.

"I don't know!" He said and crawled into a ball.

"Okay, you need to explain it properly, we don't understand a thing." Alice said, sounding as confused as I felt. Jake took a deep breath, and then began from the beginning.

"Okay. I was taking a shower, and then I got out of the shower in only a towel, and walked to my room to get dressed, and then…" He trailed of removing his hands from his face.

"And then??"Edward asked tiredly.

"And then I saw the girl, standing outside my window! Her hair was black and curly, like, seriously curly, and she had pale skin, but not like ghost pale, just pale. And her face was pressing against the window, and she was talking crazy stuff!" He said and his description reminded me of the time when Mike used to stalk me around my house.

"What did she say??" I asked, and he looked at me with a strange grimace.

"She said that it was going to be her and me forever, that we we're going to get married and have small mini-Jacobs! I think she was holding a chain and a rope too." He said and I almost began to laugh at his ridiculous story.

"And you expect us to believe this?" Alice asked with one eyebrow raised at him. He nodded weakly at us.

"Sorry Jake, but it doesn't sound so convincing in my ears." I said slowly, hoping I hadn't hurt his feelings. Sure, he was crazy, sometimes mean, and a little bit of a stalker, but he was my friend, and he was nice most of the time.

"But that's not the worst part! Then she began to bang on the window, yelling she wanted more of my biceps or something like that. I screamed and took my clothes and ran back to the bathroom and changed. When I finally had the courage to go back, she was gone! And there was a lipstick mark on the window, and there was a text too, written in something red!"

"Maybe lipstick??" I suggested.

"Yeah! In it said; _I'm watching you. Soon we'll be together._ I was freaked out and took my car as fast as I could to your place, but you weren't there. Charlie said you where here, so I came here." He finished and looked at me with his puppy eyes.

"You believe me, right??" he asked, but puppy eyes or not, I wasn't going to lie.

"No." I said honestly, and his face fell.

"But I-" he began, but was interrupted by Emmet, who barged into the room, his face filled with excitement.

"You guys, you _have _to check this out! Bring the crying loser too." He said snickering, and ran out again. We looked at each other for a second, frowning, but curiosity burned in all of us, and we rose from our seats and followed him outside. He was running to the garden, and we rounded the corner of the house, we saw what he was talking about. Near the house, was a large oak lying on the ground, probably knocked down by the wind last night.

"Man, that's one big tree." He said and placed one hand on the big oak and patted it slowly. "Hey, but check this out." He said, and grinned as he walked around, the 3 of us following."It almost looks like a handprint, doesn't it??" he said and pointed at the mark on the tree. It was a dent, and just like Emmet had pointed out, it _did_ look like a handprint.

"It looks like you also have a stalker, see??" Alice teased and pointed at the house. Sure enough, the tree had been standing near Edward's window. Those words made my body go cold. Stalker…handprint in a tree…Why does it sound like this is a typical thing a certain vampire stalker I know would do?? Seriously, Smith?? Was this his doing?? Had he watched me and Edward the whole time??

"Haha, very funny Alice." Edward said, and shook his head. He looked at me, and being him, _of course_ he just _had_ to notice I was scared shitless.

"What's wrong Bella??" he asked and walked over to me.

"Eh…I…I just thought of…" I said, not knowing what I was going to say. What was I going to say?? _"I'm only scared of the creepy vampire stalker I have who possibly did this, and is most certainly watching us right now."_ Yeah, that pretty much sums it up. "I thought of that bad dream I had last night." I said, and hopefully he wouldn't pick up the lie.

"Oh, it's okay Bella." He said and gave me a small hug and a smile. "It was only a dream."

Well, let's hope so. If it's not…ugh, I don't even want to think about it.

***Later inside***

"So, what are we doing now??" Edward asked, ignoring Jake who was sitting in the sofa, staring at us.

"I know what you're going to do." Alice said, and a sly smile began to paint her lips.

"Okay then…what _are_ we doing then?"I asked, still a little shaken after my latest discovery (well, I hadn't proved it yet, but it's most likely true).

"Well, _you_ are going to come with me to my room for, well I don't know, and hour. And for you two," she said, pointing at Edward and Jake. "Well, whatever-your-name-was can leave, and you Edward, are going to take a shower." She said.

"And _why_ am I going to listen to you right now??" Edward asked, frowning at his sister.

"Because you smell." She said, and then dragged me off to her room.

***1 hour later***

"Are you finished yet?? Why did you have to do this makeover now??" I asked as she applied more makeup on my face. She giggled and continued.

"You're so silly Bella. You're going to be fabulous when I'm done with you." She said smugly.

"Wait, there's _more_??"I asked in a horrified voice. She laughed at me and shook her head.

"Only 2 minutes, you can hold out that long, can you??" she asked, and I sulked in her chair as she hummed on some melody.

***2 minutes later***

"And…Voila!" She exclaimed and showed me the mirror. I hardly recognized myself.

"Alice…." I trailed off, looking at myself.

"You like it, I know you do, and don't say anything different." She said with a confident voice, and helped me up from the chair.

"Now, for your clothes…" she said, trailing off in though as she entered her closet, and walked off to the 'small' section she had for me. I groaned as I followed.

"Alice, what is this all about??"I asked again, and as expected, she avoided the question.

"We should pick blue, it matches your skin." She said and rummaged through the closet until she found a blue, strapless cocktail dress, looking very expensive. I sighed, and wondered what I had done to deserve this.

***15 minutes later***

"Are you done changing?" She asked through the door the bathroom door, and I sighed for the millionth time today.

"Yes." I said and opened the door. She squealed happily when she saw me, and began to jump up and down.

"You look amazing!" she complimented excitedly and hugged me. "But it's missing something…" she said, and stopped jumping around, and ran back into her closet. She came back with a black cardigan, and gave it to me. I put it on happily, not liking the slightly naked feeling I got by that dress. When I had it on, she smiled smugly.

"Now, _that_ is one, hot looking lady in front of me." She said and smiled smugly. I blushed slightly and followed her out of the room. I was happy that she had decided to not give me those scary, high heeled shoes she almost decided to give me, and chose the flat ballerinas instead. We walked downstairs, and I was pretty surprised to see Jake downstairs. When he saw me, his eyes widened and he grinned.

"What did she do; torture you until you gave her permission to torture you some more??" He teased, and got a small hit from Alice.

"Be quiet. Why are you still here??" She asked in an irritated tone, and glared at him.

"What? Did you expect me to go home and face _that_?? That creepy girl, standing outside my window? Nu-uh, no way." He said and Alice sighed.

"Fine, be that way. Where's Edward??" She asked, and just as the words were out, he was coming down the stairs. When he saw me, a smile appeared on his godlike face, and I became warm inside of joy.

"You look beautiful." He said and gave me a small hug. Then he turned to his sister.

"Now, will you tell us why we did all this??" He said, and the tone of his voice had the hidden message; _if you don't tell me, you're in big trouble._

"Remember that favor you two were going to for me later?? Well guess what, now is later."Alice said and her face became excited.

"And, you want us to do...what exactly??"I asked feeling a little bit confused. Why had I dressed up like I was going to some tremendous party where I was going to meet the queen of England??

"I want the two of you to go on a date." She said happily.

"What?!?" Edward, Jake and I all said in unison.

**A/N: Yeah, I know it's short, I'm sorry ****But I hope you liked it anyway! Please review!//RF**

**And a message for the Russian Olga;  
Olga, it would be great if you wanted to do that! If you could send me the translated chapters to my Email, I'll post them (of course I'll give you all credit for translating :D )  
If you have any other suggestion, please mail and tell me so I know :P (You can find my Email in my profile)**


	6. It's almost like you can read my mind

**A/N: Hi! Sorry for taking such a long time but **_**someone**_**, yes I'm talking about you sis, made me do something else last weekend, so I couldn't update. But I **_**did**_** update on the holidays. Remember that prequel I was supposed to write?? Well, it's written now, so go and check it out. It's called **y_**ou stole my heart, he stole my memory.**_** Now, please enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, and whoever thought I did, shame on you…**

**Chapter 6: It's almost like you can read my mind**

**EPOV**

"Alice!" I exclaimed angrily and glared at her. Sure, I liked the idea on going on a date with Bella, but if the date was controlled by my older sister, no thanks.

"No, you'll have to do it. You both promised me you would do me a favor, right?? Well this is it. I told you what I had seen; now you will have to do what I tell you." She said, and she smiled satisfied at us. Bella's friend behind us glared at her, then at me and then at her again. He wasn't happy about this either, but I'm guessing it was other reasons from mine.

"Wait. What do you mean 'both of us'? You told Edward about it too?? Alice, you said you only told me! Don't tell me this was one of your sneaky plans to get us together!"Bella exclaimed unhappy and watched Alice with an infuriated expression.

"Well…"Alice began, looking guilty. I sighed. This was typical Alice.

"Damn it Alice, why do you keep doing this to me!?"Bella groaned. Alice looked at the floor for a minute.

"But still, both of you promised me you would to something for me."Alice muttered, and tried the 'Oh-feel-sorry-for-me-because-I'm-cute' technique.

"But you lied to us." Bella continued, still hurt by the fact that Alice had lied to her, not noticing her efforts to get our pity.

"Yeah, you did. And it's not like you keep all your promises either." I told her, and as she looked up and met my eyes, I knew she knew exactly what I meant. She looked away, and you could see that her mind was wandering. Then, suddenly, she snapped her head to our direction, a sly grin creeping on her lips.

"Are you sure you don't want to??" She asked us, but she was looking at me. _I_ wanted this, but not like this, and if Bella didn't want it, there was no point.

"Yes."We both said, determined, our voices sounding sure and strong. Her grin turned into a smile, and she turned around and ran up the stairs, she was gone for 20 seconds, and, when she made her way down again, Jasper and Emmet was by her sides. She walked over to where she had stood before, and her smile was still on her face.

"Are you absolutely certain??" She asked one last time, looking at me.

"Yes." We both said, not as strong as before though; now our fear was clearly heard. When our answer was out, both Jasper and Emmet smiled the same smile Alice had on her lips.

"Wrong answer."

**BPOV**

Emmet was fast for being so big. In the matter of seconds, he had grabbed me and slung me over his shoulder and ran outside. Just before we exited the door, I vaguely saw how Jasper grabbed Edward's arm.

**EPOV**

Jasper grabbed my arm, but I still fought against him.

"Help him out crying looser." Alice ordered Jacob, who stood on the side, looking confused and bemused at the same time, his head whipping back and forth between me and the direction Emmet had run off with Bella in.

"Stop calling me that! My name is Jacob; J-a-c-o-b!" He yelled at her, offended, but she just rolled her eyes.

"Whatever. Do you mind holding Edward here in place so I can carry out this plan successfully?" She asked him again. He watched me then, as I struggled against Jaspers hold, and I think the hate for me that he was holding and his amusement for this scene made him obey her.

"Alright, fine." He said, and walked over to us. He took my other arm, and his stone grip made it impossible to move.

"There, there, that wasn't that bad, was it??"Alice asked and crossed her arms in front of her, with a satisfied smile on her face.

"What about Bella?"I asked, not really caring about anything else.

**BPOV**

"Emmet, put me down!"I yelled at him for the 100th time but just like before, he didn't listen. He still continued to walk in his slow phase outside, away from the house. It was till raining, but not as bad as before.

"Come one Bella, stop being such a baby, it's just a date. Besides, she offered me pancakes!" He exclaimed, like it explained everything.

"So?? You could've refused!"I hit him on his back, but his hold didn't budge. I sighed, and it made him laugh. I heard how a door was opened far away, and Alice chipper voice broke the small silence.

"Emmet, bring her inside the garage, or the rain will ruin her makeup! Strap her up in the Porsche, and I'll be there in a second with Edward."

Emmet replied to his sister, and then began to jog towards the garage. I bounced up and down on his shoulder, and the motion hanging upside down made me a little sick. Oh boy…

***7 minutes later***

"That wasn't so bad, was it??"Alice asked from the front seat of her Porsche as she drove out of the garage. Edward and I were sitting in the backseat, strapped into our seats. We both glared into her direction. She met our gazes, and laughed.

"Hey, don't be so glum; this is a _good_ thing!" She rolled her eyes at us in the rear-view mirror, smiling. Both of us sighed, and Jake groaned up front.

"Why am I here?? I don't wanna be your accomplice!"He complained and looked out the window, pouting. Alice good mood faltered and she glared at her partner in crime.

"Well, you refused to go home. Is that what you want?? To go home to your _beloved _friend?? Sure, be my guest." Her tone was unfriendly and cold as ice, and her golden-brown eyes flashed with anger towards him. Jake didn't answer, but his stiff posture was enough said; he wasn't going back there yet.

"Alice, keep your eyes on the road." Edward sighed and leaned back in the leather seat, defeated. I looked down at my hands in my lap, and thought. I thought about what was going to happen, what Alice was going to make us do on this date, what was Jake supposed to do, tag along?? I frowned, and suddenly, I felt a touch on my shoulder. I looked up into his emerald green eyes, and his beautiful, crooked smile was smiling down at me.

"Don't worry; she will be punished for this." He promised, and just before his words were out, I saw how Alice eyes flicked into his direction.

"She better be." I muttered, and he laughed at me. Alice just rolled her eyes up front. She probably thought we we're pathetic, loving each other, but we refuses to go on a date.

**Alice's POV**

Ugh, this is ridiculous! They love each other, they can't deny that; I have both _seen_ it, and they did confess to each other last night, and nobody lied. But even though, the refuse to go on one, _one _simple date! And this strange mutt next to me! I can't see his future. It's frustrating! I've always been able to see everyone's future, but him…he's a blank spot. And everything involving him makes it blank too. It disappears. Damn I got scared the second before he rang on the door today. Everything just went blank, disappeared. And the thing is that he's not just a stupid mutt who makes it all blank, he's _annoying._ He complains, he's in the way, and he even _smells._

I glared at the road in frustration, and speeded away on the empty road. Why did everyone have to ruin my plans today?

**BPOV**

"Alright you two, I'll leave you here. Remember, you'll have to actually _date_ now. If you don't, I'll know." Alice threatened as she opened the car door for me, giving me a meaningful glare, saying 'listen-or-you'll-die'. I walked over to Edward and sighed.

"We really have to do this, don't we??" I groaned and looked down at my feet. He sighed.

"I believe we don't have any other choice."

Alice climbed into the car again, and started the engine. Jake looked confused, and rather scared, and I felt sorry for him. What would happen to him now??

"Well, I'll pick you up when you're done. Bye now!" Alice shouted as she drove away in high-speed. Both of us stared after her, feeling shocked and confused.

"So…what are we going to do now??" I asked, looking around at the crowded streets of Port Angeles.

**EPOV**

There she was, beautiful as always, standing beside me. I felt happy, I shouldn't have; my _sister_ had organized this date. But the reason I felt happy was that she had _left_. And this was a date, an actual _date._ And I was with Bella.

"What do you want to do??" I asked, thinking through all the things we could do here.

"Well, I don't know, maybe-"She began, but she was interrupted by a small squeal. Both of us looked into the direction of the sound, and terror hit me. There they stood, at least 5 girls, all looking at me with hungry eyes. They we're no people I knew, but they seemed to know me and everything about me.

"Edward!! Oh my _god_, it's him!!" One of them screamed, and then the worst thing in the world happened: they began to run after us.

"Bella, run!"I screamed at her and took her hand.

"But-"she began, but when she saw how they got closer, running and screaming like animals, she ran with me down the street. She tripped several times, which made me anxious, but they never caught up with us.

***A few minutes later***

We rounded the corner, our breaths heavy and loud. We stopped, and listened for our followers.

"You think…you think we lost them??"She asked; her voice was breathless from all the running. I slowly walked back and looked around the corner; no one there.

"I think so. You okay??" I asked, returning to her. Her hair was in her face, hiding it from me. I removed the locks so I could look into her eyes, drown in them. She stared up at me, and smiled.

"Yeah, lucky for us that they got away. Now…what should we do??"

Her smile was as warm as a summer day, filling me with joy and excitement. She took my hand and together we walked out of the alley.

"How about a movie??"

I grinned at her as we walked down the street, hand in hand. The wind blew coldly on us, but the slightly chill September weather didn't affect us. The rain had stopped, and clouds were glaring down at us, as usual.

"Sure." Her answer was happy, but slightly nervous. In smiled and then we began to discuss movies.

"Alright…what shall we see?? I'm guessing your favorite movie isn't Bambi anymore." She blushed and then began to defend her childhood love. But even though we did this, one question remained in the back of my head, and it was aching for an answer: how and why did those girls just disappear??

**Alice's POV  
**"Now, are we clear?? _Never _follow my brother again, you're ruining my plans! He's _taken_, so stay away." I warned them, my eyes flashing with anger. They nodded quickly; their faces twisted in fear, and then disappeared from my sight.

"Whoa, that was just freaky." The _mutt_ commentated, laughing. I turned to glare at him, and he quickly shut his mouth. No one was going to ruin my plans today…_no one_.

"Come on, they're getting further away." I grabbed Jake by his shirt, and began to drag him into the direction the two of them had gone.

"So what?? I have to stalk my ex-girlfriend, current friend, on her date with _your_ brother?" he asked in a skeptic tone. I rolled my eyes, and was just about to pull the 'why-don't-you-go-to-_your_-stalker-then?' card, but that's when I saw them. There they were, walking hand in hand, laughing. I squealed and watched them as they walked down the street.

"Move aside, please." I asked the annoying person next to me shutting my eyes and rubbing my temples.

"I…what??"he asked confused, and I sighed.

"Move away from me. Go the café and wait there." I said, shutting me eyes harder and concentrated. I eventually followed my orders, and I stood in my place, waiting for the future to show.

_Ah, a movie. _Then I gasped. _A beautiful mind?!? She will cry and ruin my makeup! _

I opened my eyes and sighed. Fine, I'll let them have their way. She will go into the bathroom afterwards and try to fix it. She will –luckily –success. I walked back to the mutt, and grinned.

"Come on, we're going to watch a movie."

**BPOV**

We entered the cinema and went to the board with available movies on. When I suddenly saw a title I recognized, I smiled.

"What??" Edward came to my side, and followed my gaze, trying to see what was so funny. I pointed at the title.

"A beautiful mind. I didn't think that it would be shown here still; its years old."

"Well, they do show old movies here too. You want to see it??" he asked, and I looked down at my feet in uncertainty. I _did_ want to see it, but I would just cry and humiliate myself.

"Ah, sorry I asked." He grinned at me and began to walk over to the cashier. "Of _course_ you want to see it."

I followed him, blushing as I ran to his side. "Hey, wait up. I never said I did want to see it."

"I know," He said and grinned. "But I know you, even though you're not easy to read." He finally got to the desk and took out his money. "Two tickets to a beautiful mind, please."

The employed looked up. He had brown eyes, dark curly hair and a large mustache. His gaze lingered on me one second too long, and I frowned in confusion. He looked away quickly and began to look for the tickets.

"Here you are." He answered in a gruff voice, sounding like he had lung cancer or something.

"Thank you. Let's go." Edward grabbed my arm and pulled me to the auditorium.

"Will you cry??" He asked as we sat down in our seats in the quite empty room.

"…probably." I admitted after a moment. There was no point at lying, he would know anyways if I did. Edward laughed, and I blushed and looked away. I took that as an opportunity to take a really good look at the room. Up front, a middle aged couple sat, hand in hand. Beside us we're 3 old ladies, chatting and laughing. Behind us 3 couple sat, but it was one of them who looked quite weird. Both of them had sunglasses on, caps on and large coats. The other one was petite and looked like a toddles in comparison to the person next to her. They looked…odd, and strangely familiar. I was just about to ask Edward about it, when the room darkened. I turned back in my seat and began to watch the movie.

***After the movie***

"I look like a maniac now, don't I??" I asked as we walked out of the auditorium together. The movie had been good, like I knew it would, and as Edward had guessed, I _had_ cried. And not just once. No, I practically brawled near the end. I think it was amusing him highly, but he's too much of a gentleman to say anything.

"No, you don't. But you do look like you've been exposed by one of my sister's makeovers, and now cries as the torture get's overwhelming." He said, and the grin on his face made me somehow highly embarrassed. I sighed highly and walked over to the toilets, Edward right behind me.

"Wait here, I'll just take care of the mush on my face." I muttered and slipped inside as quickly as possible, hearing his quiet laughter behind me.

***7 minutes later***

Finally! That took me forever. It was like a 3 inch thick layer there!

I stepped outside and looked around for Edward. He wasn't hard to find. He was leaning against a wall, arms crossed and looking completely relaxed, looking as beautiful as a god. But I wasn't the only one who was thinking that. Many teenage girls stood around him, staring at him from a safe distance and chatted with their friends (about him of course). That made me a little self-conscious. I probably looked like trash in comparison to him. Not wanting to draw any attention to me, I called his name as quiet as I could so he could still hear me. His head snapped up and our eyes met. A smile crossed his lips and he raised his hand up in the air, waving at me.

"Bella!" He called, and even though it wasn't that loud, it felt like he had screamed it 10 times louder than he had. He walked over to me, happy and oblivious about my feelings.

"There you are." He said and put an arm around my shoulder. "I'm surprised you're out this soon; with all that makeup she had put on, I thought it would've taken forever."

"Well, I've got some serious skills. You mind if we leave??" I asked really quick, feeling how the other girls' cold gazes turned into stabs into my back.

"Oh, okay." He agreed with me, and we walked out of the building, him frowning in confusion at my strange behavior.

"Why are we leaving in such a rush??" His voice wasn't accusing or as confused as his expression, but mostly curios.

"Eh...I…I think I saw someone I knew." I lied, both of us knowing it, but he didn't question it further.

"So, what do you want to do now??" he asked again, his expression smothered and a smile lingered on his lips. I looked around. There we're only a few clothing shops on this street, and shopping for clothes wasn't high on my priority list when it came to having fun. As we passed two people reading the newspaper on a bench, it gave me an idea.

"How about going to a bookstore?? I need something new to read." I suggested. He laughed and took my hand in his.

"Well, it's about time you start reading something more than Wuthering heights." He joked, and we began to walk to the bookstores direction.

**Alice's POV**

When both of them where far enough, I folded the newspaper and turned to Jacob, who copied my example.

"Okay, they're going to the bookstore. We'll lie in the bushes and see what they'll do, okay??" I said, giving him my plan.

"Remind me why I'm doing this again." He groaned, that pathetic mutt, and began to stand up and follow me to the bookstore.

**BPOV**

As we entered the bookstore, my heart was filled with warmth; happiness, you could say. The comfort smell of books filled my lungs and I sighed quietly of delight. Edward looked around, but a small frown on his forehead made me confused.

"What is it??" I asked, confused by his obvious discomfort. He turned to me, and his expression changed into a flawless smile.

"Oh, nothing." His voice detected no lie, but I knew better than that. But I decided not to question it further. He would tell me if it was important.

Now, we need to find you some books."He declared and took my hand and began to drag me into the "good" part of the store. I've been in this store millions of times, but every time I get here, I always get disappointed at their bad assortment. But I never give up hope, and still come here sometimes to see if they have something new, or interesting.

*20 minutes later*

"Here's your change." The clerk said and gave the cash to Edward, who had paid for the 3 books I had wanted to buy; I first protested, and I'm actually still kind of against it, but he persuaded me that he'd do it.

"What do you want to do next?" he said as we walked out. I looked around. The sun was on its way down, and the majority of the shoppers had gone home. I was just about to answer, when my stomach decided to answer for me, and growled loudly. He laughed, I blushed, and then we began to walk away to a restaurant close enough. As we walked down the streets, talking about just anything and nothing, something suddenly hit me. I was actually _enjoying_ myself. I thought this date would be some torture, like Alice's makeovers, but it wasn't. It wasn't awkward, it wasn't scary, it was…nice. I didn't think it would; not that I don't like Edward but…being all lovey-dovey and stuff like that, that's not something I'm quite familiar with. It's not like I have anything to compare with, except with Jake, but that was something else. This…this _feeling_ I have when I'm with Edward….It's indescribable. It's like nothing I've ever felt before.

"What about in here??" Edward's voice pulled me away from my thoughts and I looked up at the sign he was pointing at. _La Bella Italia,_ an Italian restaurant, and judging by its looks, it didn't look that bad either.

"Eh, Sure." I said, and gave him a small smile. We walked inside, but as soon as we we're Edward groaned.

"Come on, let's go somewhere else, this place is crowded." He took my hand and began to drag me out of there, but I stayed in place. He turned around, and I frowned at him.

"Edward, there's only 3 other couples in here." I said, pointing at the half-empty restaurant. He frowned in confusion, seeing I was right, and then went into deep thought.

"Hello and welcome to La Bella Italia. A table for two??" The female hostess said and both of us turned to her. Edward was still frowning deep, now at her.

"Ah, yes please."

We followed the woman, who mostly stared at Edward with a dreamy look, and got a table rather distant from the other people.

"I'll be right back with your menus." Her voice was rather unstable, and as she wobbled away from our table, I saw how Edward glared after her.

"Edward?? What is it??" I asked as I had before today, but this time, I wouldn't take 'nothing' as an answer. He turned to me, and his expression was puzzled and at the same time, disgusted.

"Did you hear what she said?" He hissed, and I jumped slightly in my seat. I've never heard him this upset before, or this unkind in his tone.

"That…she was going to get the menus??" I asked, not really understanding what he was talking about.

"No, not that! She was insulting you right in front us and she didn't even care!" He exclaimed, his eyes sparkling with fury. He buried his face into his head and sighed deeply.

"Edward."

No answer.

"Edward." I tried again, and put a hand on his arm. He looked up from his hands, and I looked into his incredibly beautiful eyes.

"Edward, she didn't insult me. The only thing she said was that she was going to get the menus. Nothing else. What are you talking about??" I talked slowly, so to words could sink in. He looked at me, frowning at my words, and then suddenly, his head whipped into another direction.

"What??" he asked, a question I knew wasn't for me. "What is _she_ doing here?" He gritted his teeth and then looked into nothing, his mind wandering.

"Edward?? Please tell me what's happening, you're scaring me." I looked at his face as I spoke. he turned to me, and he looked as confused as I felt.

**EPOV**

What was happening to me?? I heard…no I _saw_ into my sister's mind! She was lying outside the restaurant right now with a walkie-talkie in her hand, talking to…to Jacob. And, and I saw into his mind too. I…I began to hear stuff earlier today, but I thought it was nothing. But it's like, like I can read minds. This, this isn't normal. It's like I'm standing in a corridor full with people, all of them talking at the same time. But if I concentrate just a little…

_What is he doing?? He's just sitting there, looking like he has seen a ghost! It's a date for crying out loud!_ Alice thought and I could hear her sigh in her mind.

_Oh My God. That guy was __so__ hot!! I wonder why he's going out with __that__ girl anyways?? _I gritted my teeth as I heard the hostess's thoughts. What a disrespectful woman!

_Why am I here anyways?? Sure, sure, she has a point that I can't go home, but does she has take advantages of me and make me stalk my ex on her date with her __brother__…oh man._ Jacob black, my sister's partner in crime thought who was standing behind a car a little bit further away from the restaurant.

And all of this happened in the matter of seconds. In the matter of seconds, I had read 3 people's minds at the same time. Bella was still sitting in front of me, frowning deeply, and the small crease in her forehead she got whenever she was stressed was there.

"Edward?? Please tell me what's happening, you're scaring me." Her voice, unsure and puzzled pulled me out of my thoughts. I looked into her eyes, and I decided I had to tell her, but not now.

"I'll tell you later, I promise." I knew that that answer didn't ease her confusion, but starting to tell her here, right now that I could read minds, was something I didn't want to do.

**BPOV**

His answer didn't make me that happy, but I wasn't going to forget it either. Whenever 'later' came, I was going to be there and hear it all.

Dinner continued, and we began to talk joyfully again, but both of us hadn't really let go the strange happening, even though no one talked about it. We ate, talked and laughed, but every time the waitress came by, Edward's mood puckered noticeably. She was raw-flirting with him, and it kind of disturbed me as well.

"We're ready to take the check please." Edward then finally said as the waitress came and took our plates.

"Alright then, I'll be right back." She said in a seductive voice and walked away, eying him hungrily. She came back quite fast and gave him the check, and even though I wasn't the one to receive it, I knew she had slipped down her phone number there. But Edward just gave the check a small glance, and then pulled out his valet and took out some money.

"Keep the change." He said, and began to stand up, and so did I. We walked away from the restaurant in the night, and then I suddenly realized we had no car. Edward must have known that too.

"Alright, I'll go get Alice." He said, and began to into a random direction.

"But...what??" I asked as I half-walked, half-ran after him. He walked around a corner of a building, when I suddenly saw twp figures I had seen before, standing pressed against the wall. It was the two strange people on the movie, sitting behind us.

"Alice, our date is over now –which you probably know since you have followed us the whole time –and we need a ride home." He told the smaller person standing the closest to us, the short one. She sighed, and removed the hat, glasses and the gigantic scarf, and voilà, there she was, standing in front of us with a guilty face: Alice.

"Alright, fine." She sighed, and began to move away from the wall. The other person who had been standing beside her took off his disguise as well, and I gasped when I saw who it was.

"Jake! Have you been following me and Edward as well??" I asked, not liking the idea that my ex had been following me around on my first date with Edward.

"Well…" he trailed off, but that was all I needed, because his silence told me everything.

"Jake! How could you!?!" I accused him, and then turned around and followed Edward and Alice who already we're on their way to the car. I heard how Jake began to run to catch up with me, and I tried to walk faster, but I should've thought better than trying to outrun a werewolf. He easily caught up with me, which wasn't that surprising, and looked at me with a pleading face.

"Bella! I can explain!! It was all her! She made me!!" he yelled, and I heard how Alice scoffed ahead.

"Quiet you! You know damn well that I'm telling the truth!!" He yelled back to her and then looked at me. "I'm sorry Bella; I didn't want to do this, not really. It was just that I didn't want to go home and get attacked by my stalker, so I-"he explained, but I interrupted him.

"So you became one instead and decided to stalk _me_." I said, and he became quiet. Man, I have too many stalkers in my life, just as I thought I had lost one, I get two instead…

"Let's just get home, 'okay??" Alice said, and I looked up to see that we we're at the Porsche.

"Alright then. Well, bye Bella." Jake said, and gave me a tight, bone-crushing hug from behind, surprising me utterly. I gasped for air and he let me go. I turned around and looked into his grinning face.

"What?? You're not coming with us?? Where are you going then?? How do you get home??" the questions blurred out of me, and his grin grew.

"Bella, I've got my ways." He said, his voice having an edge in it like it had another meaning and I frowned back at him, not understanding what it was. He sighed and leaned in, whispering into my ear.

"Bella, I'm a werewolf, you know that. It'll take like, what? 5 minutes to get home? I'm fine. Now go home and rest, I'm sure you need it. And I'm sorry." After hearing what he had said, I felt stupid for not getting the hint before. Of course. He would be running home in wolf form.

A honk from the impatient Alice, made us both jump, and Jake laughed.

"Okay, your freaky friend overt there wants you to hurry. I'll see you later." He said, and then began to walk away. I walked to the car door, and was just about to hop inside.

"Bella??" Jake called, and I looked up. He was standing on the pavement on the other side of the street, and his face had grown serious.

"Whatever happens, stay inside this weekend." And with that warning, he walked away into the night.

***At the Cullen's house***

"Hi kids, did you have fun today??" Carlisle asked when we entered the house, sitting in the sofa together with Esme, watching TV.

"Eh...well…"Edward hesitated and looked at me. Alice walked over to the stairs, and then turned to her parents with a sly smile on her lips. Edward was glaring at her and was just about to say something when she spoke.

"Edward and Bella went on a date." She announced and then bolted up the stairs, leaving us with the mess. Edward sighed, and I blushed deep as his parents turned around to look at us. Esme was smiling proudly as she looked at her son, and Carlisle was looking at me, smiling warmly. This couldn't get more embarrassing…

"Awkward." Emmet commentated in his singsong voice as he walked out of the kitchen, up the stairs. Edward sighed once again, and took my hand, following the path both of his siblings had taken and dragged me to his room.

We sat down in his couch and he put his head in his hands.

"Are…are you alright??" I asked, and he groaned.

"I am, you don't need to worry about me." He said, and his behavior…it reminded me what had happened at the restaurant.

"Is it later now??" I asked carefully, and he lifted his head from his hands.

"I'll tell you if you promise not to run." His absurd answer made me laugh. I'd never run from him, never.

"Of course I won't run. Now tell me what's going on in your head. I'm not a mind reader you know." His face twisted into a grimace as I had spoken.

"Well…that's kind of what all of this is about. Mind reading." His answer made me freeze in shock.

"I-I don't know how this happened, or why, but…but I can read minds." I looked into his emerald green eyes. A panicky laugh escaped my lips, not because I didn't believe him, not that I thought it was absurd or stupid, but because it seems like all supernatural phenomenon seems to surround me. Smith was a vampire, Jake was a werewolf, Alice was a physic, and now this?? Oh wait, he can read minds…. Did he just hear what I thought now?

"Can you read _my_ mind??" I asked, trying to sound casual about it, but failed miserably. Inside, I was panicking.

"I don't know why, but I can't read yours." He answered, which made the unease go away.

"Well…don't take this the wrong way, but how can I trust you then??" I asked, and he had to admit that I was right. He thought about it for a while, and then rose from his seat.

"I'll show you then."

We walked out of his room and then stopped at Alice's door.

"She's …oh my god…."he looked annoyed and a little scared at the same time.

"What??"

"She's planning our next date, in _detail_. How she's going to kidnap us, where we're going to go and what we'll do." His words frightened me and angered me at the same time, and I opened the door, and gasped at the scene in front of me. Paper, maps, pictures and drawings of me and Edward we're spread out on her gigantic bed, and Alice, the master of crime herself stood in the closet doorway, watching us with her arms folded.

"Damn it, now I have to rearrange my plans! Thanks to you, Mr. Mind reader!" Alice spat at him, and walked to her bed with long, angry strides.

"H-how do you know he can read minds??" I asked, and Alice sighed tiredly.

"Bella, how many times to I have to tell you?? I can see the future. I knew he was a mind reader before even Edward knew himself." She said proudly with a sly smile, forgetting that she was mad. But then she seemed to remember it again, and dropped the smile that hinted on her lips, and glared at Edward.

"Now if you will excuse me, I have some plans to re-arrange." Alice said, and began to pick up her papers in a small pile. Edward took my hand, and then we moved on his brother's room. Before we had reached the room, Edward began to laugh hysterically.

"What is it?" I asked, wondering what the big joke was.

"You'll _love_ this. His video recording himself dancing around in a tutu." When his words we're out of his mouth, I looked at him wide eyed.

"What?!?"I asked, thinking this was too good to be true. He chuckled and then pointed at the door.

"Watch yourself."

I tiptoed there, took a deep breath, and then opened the door quickly.

Emmet screamed in terror; a high pitched girl scream, when he had heard the door had been opened, and quickly ran into his bathroom, locking the door. I burst out in laughing seconds later when the shock had worn off and continued to do so when I excited the room, closing the door after me. Edward had been right _again_. That either proves he knows his brother and sister really well, or that he actually can read minds. Honestly, I believe the second option is much more likely to be.

"So, do you believe me now??" he asked when we walked back to his room, hand in hand.

"Yeah, I guess I do." I closed the door after us and went to sit on the edge of his bed with him.

"I'm sorry I was acting strange on the date, I didn't mean to."

"You don't need to apologize Edward, it's okay. I…" I was going to continue, but something I saw in the window made me freeze in all my actions, and my face go pale. Outside, Smith stood on a branch, doing hand gestures. I frowned in confusion, but Edward's question made me remember he was there.

"You…what??" he promoted and looked at me with encouraging eyes.

"Eh… nothing." I said and smiled, but it didn't quite reach my eyes. Edward was just about to say something else, when he suddenly stopped, and frowned.

"I'll be right back, Alice just wants something." He said and excited the room, which made me feel lonely and terrified. I looked out the window, and Smith still stood on the branch, making hand gestures. I frowned deeper and I just stared at him with confused eyes. He sighed, and then suddenly disappeared. 10 seconds later, he appeared again, and this time he was holding a big sign saying: _You and I need to talk. __Now__. And I won't take no for an answer._

I shiver went down my spine, and I felt how the terror came crawling. The sudden opening of the door made me jump in surprise, and I then realized it was only Edward who came back. I looked back at the branch, but Smith was gone.

"There, now that's taken care of." He smiled, and then went to sit next to me. He noticed my confused and frightened face, and frowned.

"What is it??"

_Quick, quick, come up with a lie._

"I…eh…need to check on my truck really quick, if that's okay. You don't need to come with me; I'll only be gone for a second."

"Well, alright. I'll wait here." He said, and smiled. Oh, if he only knew what, well who, was waiting outside for me…

I ran down the stairs; no actually, I just walked rather quickly. I wasn't planning a suicide mission; I was just going downstairs to talk with a vampire. Somehow, that doesn't add up…  
I greeted Esme and Carlisle when I reached the bottom and then excused myself to go outside. The wind was cold, and the darkness made it even scarier than normal. Suddenly, when I had walked a few steps, something cold and hard grabbed me around the waist, and then the forest blurred around me. I gasped in shock, but it was over in the matter of seconds. He suddenly stopped in the middle of a forest and put me down. I glared at him, and he glared back.

"Why did you do that for?!? I came out to talk, didn't I?? You didn't need to kidnap me to the middle of the forest!" I exclaimed angrily. He sighed and started to explain quickly.

"So your mind reader couldn't hear my thoughts." He said, but I wasn't really that surprised. If you stalk someone, you probably catch stuff like that.

"But that's not the reason I wanted to talk to you." He continued. "You went on a date today." It wasn't a question; it was more of an accusation.

"Yeah?? So??" Anger was boiling inside of me, waiting to explode. "I've already told you this, and I really don't want to tell you again; I don't like you, I never will and stop following me!" I practically screamed at him.

"But does your so called 'boyfriend' like you?? You saw all those women in the cinema. All of them lusted for him. You didn't see what he did when you we're away." He said, and his word made me realize something obvious I should've had seen a long time ago.

"Nice mustache." I said, remembering his disguise as he stood behind the counter at the cinema, selling our tickets to us.

"I told I didn't want you do see him." The threat in his voice scared the crap out of me, but the anger in me hadn't faded yet.

"And I told you I didn't care what you said because I love him." I said and glared at him. But the terror started to increase when I remembered his last reaction, and realizes he can surely break my neck with his pinky.

A growl started to rumble in his chest and his eyes turned dark. The anger that had been so strong before died in a second, and fear began to fill me.

_He's going to kill me, he's going to kill me.._

"I told you; stay inside! Man, you never listen, do you?!?" Jake's irritated voice made me look up, and I felt how my heart was filled with hope. Maybe I wasn't going to die today. _Maybe_.

Smith glared at Jake, and then he looked back at me.

"You're going to regret this." He hissed, and then, he was just gone.

"You okay??" Jake approached me, and I threw my arms around him.

"Yeah." I answered after a second so I could calm down.

"I would like to stay around, but I have to patrol. You want me to take you back??" he asked, and I nodded.

"Just a second then." He said, and then jogged into the trees. He came back a minute later as a giant reddish brown wolf, and he lay down on the forest floor, motioning with his muzzle to get up on his back. I quickly did what I was told, and then, just like it had been with Smith, except this time I wasn't scared shitless, he began to run.

We we're back at the house, but he stopped just at the edge of the forest. He bent down and I climbed off his back.

"Thanks, for everything." I said and stroked his face gently. He leaned into my hand and closed his eyes. Then, they suddenly opened, and he began to look around.

"It's okay, you can go." I said, and with that, the wolf darted away into the forest. I took a deep breath to clear my thoughts a little before I ran back to the house.

When I opened the door to Edward's room, I found him right where I had left him, on the edge of his bed. He smiled warmly and I smiled back, that warm and fuzzy feeling running through my body every time I saw him smile.

"You're back." He said, and I nodded.

"So, what do you want to do??" he asked, and before I could answer, I yawned involuntary. He laughed, but agreed that it maybe was time for sleep. We arranged the couch so I could sleep on it, and then brushed our teeth and changed.

"Goodnight Bellie." Edward called over from his bed as he turned his light off.

"Goodnight Eddie." I mumbled, already half-unconscious. The last thing I heard before I fell asleep was his laugh, as soft and beautiful as a lullaby.

**A/N: I hope you liked it, and I'll try to update asap, but school have just started, and well…let's just say they hate me.  
For you who wonders, don't worry, the story will have twists, not just lovey-dovey, and sunshine and lollipops and Smith. It's coming, promise.  
Please review and tell me what you think!! //RF**


	7. I have what?

**PREQUEL IS OUT!!**

* * *

**A/N: Either nobody cared last time I said it, or nobody saw it. So I'll say it again: Prequel for Mr. Smith is out if you want to check it out.  
I apologize that it's out a little late, but you can handle that, can't you?? Good :D**

**Disclaimer: No I don't own twilight and I never said I did**

**Chapter 7: I have…what?**

I was happy when I woke up and noticed I was sleeping in my own bed (or should I say couch??). I stretched myself, feeling slightly stiff after the long night, and then I heard the sound of pages turning. I turned my head to the bed, and met his eyes as he sat on the edge of his bed, fully dressed, his emerald green eyes looking at me gently, and his reddish-brown hair was messier than usual.

"Good morning sleeping beauty." He flashed me a dazzling smile, and I felt how my face got hot, not understanding why.

"Morning…" I muttered shyly, feeling embarrassed for waking up after him. How long have he waited?? "What's the time??" I asked as I sat up and began looking for my clothes.

"Not that much. 8.30." he replied. I finally found my clothes and took them with me as I excused me to the bathroom. Why was I feeling so embarrassed?? My face felt all hot, and I felt so lightheaded today.

_Maybe because you finally realize that you just spend the night in your __boyfriend's__ room. _A voice in the back of my head suggested, and I blushed deep. Was I?? I waited a second, thinking it through. Yes, that was the reason.

_Geez, you need to listen to me more; I've been right about everything so far. _It complained, and I sighed. I seemed crazy here. I heard _voices_, irritating voices in my head!

_I'm not a voice, if that's what you think. I'm your common sense. Now go and take that shower, try to relax and then get back to Edward._ It commanded me, and I obeyed. It had a point, and I something I really needed now was a shower. I was feeling so strange and giddy today.

***Later***

I walked out of the bathroom and just as promised, after the shower I felt refreshed and quite normal again. Edward was still reading his book when I walked over to the couch, and he looked as beautiful as always, having the looks of a god.

"Hi handsome." I greeted him and sat down on the couch. He met my gaze, and his beautiful crooked smile appeared on his lips, completing the picture.

"Hello." He replied and laid down his book beside him, staring at me. Feeling self-conscious by his stare, I blushed crimson.

"What??" I demanded him and stared into his emerald-green eyes. There, buried behind that beauty there was something else; a sly look, which I didn't like.

"So you think I'm handsome, huh??" he teased and somehow, his stuck-up answer had been a little too much for me. I had meant to boost his ego, not make it 10 times bigger than it already was.

I scoffed and rolled my eyes at him.

"I hate to bust your bubble, but you're really not as handsome as you think you are. I don't think you're handsome at all, actually." I said which was a pure lie. He was anything but not handsome. His smile suddenly turned cruel, and he chuckled evilly.

"You _really_ shouldn't have said that." And with that, he started to attack me with pillows.

"Ah! Stop it!" I pleaded and curled myself into a ball, shielding my head with my hands.

"You have to say I'm handsome first." He commanded and continued his attacks, getting closer and closer to the couch.

"No!" I screamed, and giggled as he began to tickle me.

"What was that again??" his voice was confident and I was sure he smelled an easy victory.

"Alright! You're handsome, now stop!" I said with my breathless voice and he stopped. A giggle from the door made us both turn to see who it was.

"Eddie, I know you want people to tell you you're pretty, but attacking them with pillows and then tickle them until they do just isn't right." Alice said and smiled at us. Edward sighed, and I sat up again.

"I tried to ignore you, but you just won't go away, will you?? We'll be there in a moment, I promise. And yes, I'll warn her, don't worry." Edward sighed, and ran a hand through his hair. Alice smiled a perfect smile, and then skipped out of the room, humming on a melody. I frowned at what Edward had said and was just about to ask him about it, when he told me.

"She came to tell us that breakfast was ready, and that her friends, Liz and Mia are coming over here. I just thought I should warn you before they come, so you're ready to run when to run when they ambush you for a makeover." He said, and I laughed. Liz and Mia weren't so bad; they we're just sidekicks to the evil mastermind.

"Good to know." I said, and then stood up. "Should we go downstairs?? I'm kind of hungry." I confessed. He laughed, but stood up at well.

"Okay, sure." He took my hand, and then began to walk downstairs. But a ringing sound began to sound from his room. After a moment of thinking I suddenly realize it was my cell phone, and let go of his hand.

"I just have to check my phone, but you can go downstairs; I won't be long." I said, and he nodded. I ran back to the room, and rummaged through the pile of things on the sofa to find the phone. After a moment of searching, I finally found it. There was a text from Angela there:

_Professor Smith's homework was to tomorrow, I just thought you should remind you if you had forgotten._

My blood froze to ice as I read his name. Smith. All yesterdays happenings came rushing to my brain, and I shivered in horror. What had he meant when he said 'you'll regret this'?? He…he wouldn't do anything to Edward, would he?? My heart began to beat faster in my chest and sweat began smear on my forehead.

_Take it easy, breathe. Edward and Alice are waiting downstairs._ I told myself, trying to calm myself, but it wasn't helping that much. I stood up, and walked out of Edward's room. My heard was galloping inside my chest, and I heard my pulse thudding in my ears. But I couldn't make it stop. I was scared. Breathing became harder and-

"Hah!" A dark, booming voice yelled as I rounded the corner, and I let out a bloodcurdling scream in surprise and horror. And then, my vision blurred, and the last thing I saw was Emmet's terrified face.

***Later***

"Bella??" a voice asked in the distance, a calm and familiar voice. I opened my eyes, and looked into Carlisle's dark brown eyes. I blinked a few times in surprise. I felt disorientated, and looked around to see where I was. I was lying on the couch in the living room, and the rest of the Cullen's we're sitting and standing around me, having different expressions on their faces. Alice was the only one who was calm.

"See? I told you she was going to be alright." Alice told Emmet, who was looking like a Teddy bear more than ever.

"BELLA!! I'M SO SORRY!!" He cried and hugged me to his large chest, almost choking me with his strength.

"Cut it off, Emmet!" Edward hissed to his brother, and then looked at me. "Are you alright Bella??"

"I'm...I'm fine." I told them, and sat up.

"I'm so glad to hear that you're alright, Bella." Esme said from where she sat and sighed in relief. Carlisle was looking relived too, but still a little worried and concerned.

"Isabella," he said, and I turned to look at him. "Do you know what caused you to lose consciousness??

"Well, I was a little…stressed when I walked downstairs, and then Emmet scared me." I said, skipping the 'I-was-scared-shitless' part. Carlisle sighed, and I saw in the corner of my eye how Edward stiffened.

"Well Bella…the reason why you fainted was because of low blood pressure." Carlisle said the words carefully, testing my reaction.

"I…what??" My voice went several octaves high, and I stared at him in wonder.

"We didn't know what had caused your fainting, and Edward told me you had passed out a lot the past month, so I took your blood pressure and it was lower than normal. It wasn't dangerously low, but you should know that if you get overly excited, frightened, surprised or anything else that might make your heart escalate, there's a slight risk you might faint." He explained, but even though he had told me, there was a small crease in his forehead. He was confused about something.

"…Oh." Was all I said. After all those hospital visits, they have never said anything about anything. The last one was a month ago, when I fell from that cliff… how strange.

"I know you must find it confusing." Carlisle said, but I shook my head.

"It's okay," I said, even though his words were completely true. I was about to continue, when a sudden growl from my stomach broke the silence. Several laughed (Alice and Emmet), and Carlisle.

"Of course you must be hungry." He said, and helped me up. Esme took my hand and led me to the dining room, followed by the others.

***After breakfast***

"Thank you so much." I thanked Esme after we had eaten as I stood up. She smiled like she always did, and took the empty plate from my hands.

"No problem sweetheart."

"Do you need any help with the dishes??" I asked and was about to follow her inside when she shook her head.

"It's alright, I can handle it." And with that, she entered the kitchen and turned on the tap water. I felt a hand on my shoulder, and I turned around to see Edwards worried eyes looking down at me.

"Are you okay??" he asked as we began to walk out of the dining room, into the living room. I nodded my head and sat down on the couch next to Alice, who was looking overly excited. Edward sat down on my other side, and the worried look in his eyes wasn't gone yet. I was just about to tell him he could stop worry about me and that I was fine, when Emmet entered the room. He looked like an unhappy puppy as he stood in the other side of the room, tear-filled eyes and a slight pout on his face.

"B-B-Bella…" he sobbed quietly, and walked closer to us. He Sat down in the other sofa, and looked at me with pleading eyes.

"Can you forgive me for what I did??" he looked so miserable and sad I wanted to hug him and tell him it was okay, but I concentrated as hard as I could not to. I had some information I wanted before that could happen.

"I can…if you tell me why you did it." I said, and as soon as the words were out of my mouth, Alice and Edward began to laugh. I frowned at them in confusion. What was so funny about my question?? Edward looked at me with an apologizing smile, and then chuckled.

"We just saw his answer in advance, and couldn't help to laugh." He explained, and I turned to Alice to see if she had the same theory. She giggled and looked at her brother as she answered.

"Emmet, would you like to answer Bella??" she asked him with a grin on her face.

"Well…you know when you walked in on me when I…danced." He began, and I stiffened a chuckle as I remembered the scene. "I didn't dance like that just because. Rose told me she wanted me to learn how to dance, and I had no idea what to do, so I tested some ballerina moves, and that's when you came in." his explanation was strange, but even though, I believed him. That was something he could do. I tried not to laugh when he continued, but it was hard.

"And I became so mad when you had seen me in there that I wanted revenge, so this morning when I heard you two walk down the stairs, I hid behind the corner of the wall, and waited until you came. I'm so sorry Bella; I didn't mean to scare you so bad! I had no intention of making you pass out!"

"Emmet…seriously, when Rosalie said dancing, you instantly thought of ballet??" I asked, and began to laugh. He had a small blush on his face, which was very unusual.

"Shut up." He muttered, and glared at his siblings, who had joined me. "But do you forgive me Bella?"

"Emmet, I was never mad at you; of course I forgive you." I said truthfully, and he smiled.

"Great. Thanks Bells!" he said joyfully, and then ran upstairs. The other two we're still laughing, when suddenly, Edward stopped.

"What is it??" I asked him, and turned to see what was wrong. His thoughts we're far away, and he looked slightly irritated. After a moment of silence, he looked at me.

"Mia and Liz are soon here, just though you should know." He said, and a grin lit his face. "Wanna go and find a hiding place before they come??"

"Cut it off, Edward!" Alice hissed and punched her brother on his arm, but she couldn't quite manage to sound so mad; she looked so happy she could burst. "They'll be here in a few minutes. Ah, this is going to be so much fun! We're going to dress you up and-"she exclaimed, but I interrupted her.

"Alice I'm not going to be your little doll for the day. Find another way to play that doesn't involve me, sitting in your room all day playing dress-up." I told her, and her face fell. I sunk further down in the couch, and closed my eyes, as Alice began to count up all the reasons why she _should_ play dress-up with me. I didn't listen at all. I was in my happy place; any place actually, where Edward is. I leaned my head onto his shoulder, and sighed. He chuckled and patted my head. It was nice, lying in the couch like this. All my previous worries we're gone. The Smith problem had crawled back to the back of my head, not forgotten but in the same way not seen. I could just lie there, and forget everything except _him_. How he breathed, how he stroked my head gently with his hand…

A sudden knock on the door made me open my eyes again, and sit up a little straighter (but not completely). I was about to move away from Edward, when he caught my hand and pulled me back.

"Don't go, you're warm." He whined, and put his arms around me. I rolled my eyes at him whilst smiling, and looked up at him.

"So, what? I'm your personal blanket now??" I asked sarcastically, and he laughed.

"That's _exactly_ what you are. My own, warm, personal blanket…" he trailed off, and hid his face in my hair. But suddenly his head snapped up, just before a gasp was heard. I looked up, and saw Liz and Mia standing next to a smug and confident Alice. Mia's hand was in front of her o shaped mouth, and she stared at us. Liz was smiling.

"They…They're together!" Mia exclaimed, stating the obvious, but I couldn't help but to blush. Liz's smile grew, and Alice grinned.

"And what did I tell you…?" She said as she looked on her companions. They looked as excited as her, and I mentally groaned as I thought of what the 3 of them could do to us.

"Of course she's right, she's always right…" Liz mumbled as she _still_ stared at us. I wanted to sit up, but Edwards firm hands we're holding me down.

***A few minutes later***

"…I still can't believe it! I'm so happy for you!" Mia exclaimed after a moment of silence, and I sighed.

"I know you're happy Mia, but you can drop the subject now." Edward politely told her, but I could hear the effort he put on not to sound as bitter as he actually felt. I knew he didn't hate Mia and Liz, but they we're sometimes as annoying as his older sister.

"Oh. Well alright, changing subject." She agreed, fidgeting with her blond curls as she thought of our next topic. Her light blue eyes were far away when she suddenly jumped on her seat.

"Hey! I know something! You know those two people, James and Victoria in your class?" she asked, and then continued, not really waiting for an answer. "They've moved."

"What?? Really??" I asked, not really believing her. Even though we shared the same class a few years, we haven't really gotten to know each other, but that changed last month. Then I really got to know them, and it turns out that both of them we're really nice people.

"Yeah!" She exclaimed, happy I had participated in the conversation. "James was moving to his uncle, and he didn't want to leave Victoria behind, so she came with him. I think he lived somewhere north. His name was…L…Lo…Lou??I don't remember. But anyways, yeah, their last day was this Friday." Her words made me a little sad. They have already left and I didn't get a chance to say goodbye…

Liz was sitting and brushing through her long, light-brown hair, staring at me, looking like she was trying to remember something. Then her deep-blue eyes brightened, and she smiled.

"Bella, your birthday is coming up, right??" she asked, and I stopped in my movements. I had totally forgotten about that…It's my birthday next week-end.

"Yeah…I had forgotten about that." I mumbled, lost in thought.

"Oh! How nice! How old are you becoming??" Mia asked, looking like she was the birthday girl herself.

"18."

"We just _must_ get you a part-" Liz began, but I quickly stopped her.

"That's okay! I don't need a party or anything like that."

"But you're turning 18! You just_ must_ have a birthday party!" Alice pouted, and looked at me with pleading eyes.

"eh, it's okay." I said, and then looked up at Edward for some help.

"Bella, how about that we go upstairs to my room??" he asked friendly, trying to help me escape from the 3 'evil' witches grasp.

"Eh, yeah. Sure." I agreed, and we fled before they could stop us.

***Later***

"Are you sure you need to go??" Edward asked as I stood in the doorway on my way out. The sun was going down, and the air had become chillier.

"Yeah. I don't know how long Charlie can survive without _real_ food." I said and laughed.

"I guess you're right. See you tomorrow." He said, and gave me a hug. Then someone opened a door on the top floor and the three musketeers came down the stairs.

"You're leaving so soon?" She asked, even though she already knew the answer. I nodded.

"It was nice being with you." Liz said and gave me a hug. Mia came soon after her, and then Alice.

"Yeah. Bye." I said and walked to my car

"See you tomorrow!" Mia and Liz called in unison, and then giggled as they closed the door. How badly I wanted those words to be true later…

**A/N: I hope you liked it! I want to thank all of you for actually reading this story. Never thought I had the ability to do something like this :P  
****Please review, it makes me dance of joy! //RF**


	8. Hello Stranger

**Chapter 8: Hello Stranger **

**BPOV**

"Bells, there's someone outside waiting for you." Charlie patted my shoulder, and I looked up from my book. I had woken up extremely early today, feeling a little at unease since the incident this Saturday, and decided to sit down in the kitchen for about an hour to read. When Charlie then got up, he was very surprised when he found me here, fully dressed and ready to go an hour before I usually get up.

When I looked up from my beloved book, the words finally started to make sense. Someone outside was waiting for me. Chills went down my spine, and fear started to spread through my system. _Someone_ was outside my house, waiting for _me._ Smith appeared in my head, his confident smile and his golden eyes looking down at me…

Without me knowing it, I was hyperventilating. My shallow breaths we're coming faster and faster, my heart racing in my chest.

_This isn't good. Take a few deep breaths and calm down. If your pulse rises any further, you'll pass out._

I obeyed the voice, and closed my eyes, breathing deeply through my nose. Charlie, who had walked into the living room, called in a questioning tone.

"Bella?? Did you hear me?? Edward is waiting for you outside."

When his words were out, I began to relax. _Edward_. Just hearing his name made my tense muscles relax into loose spaghetti. I closed my book and put it down in my bag as I rushed to the fridge and grabbed an onion and stuffed it down together with the book. You may call this crazy, but I had to try anything I could to keep Smith away. He said I would regret it, and in many ways I do. I don't regret my words, because they we're true, but they we're very stupid in a situation like that. Not only was it stupid because it put my life at stake, but it pissed him off so badly that he may still be a great threat (he always is, but now I _really_ have to fear my life every day).

I ran out the door (Okay, ran' is an exaggeration), tossing my jacket around my shoulder. And just as Charlie had said, he was there. His silver car was parked in the middle of the lane, and he was leaning against it, smiling his crooked smile. It made my heart skip a beat, his perfection being too beautiful for my own good.

"Hi there. I thought you maybe wanted a ride to school." He said, and I smiled.

"I'd love to." I replied, and got inside the warm car, thanking him as he had opened the door. He got in as well, and began to drive away from my house. Soft music was playing in the background as we speed past my neighbors houses, and suddenly, a thought came rushing to my head.

"How does it work, reading minds??" I asked, and he chuckled. He stared at the road for a minute, lost in thought. Or maybe he just thought about how to explain it. But after a moment of silence, he began to enlighten me.

"It's like…it's like being in a large corridor, with thousands of voices, all of them talking at the same time. If I concentrate, I can manage to hear a specific voice louder than the others. And if I focus hard enough, they all just become mumbles. But even though they're mumbles, I will still know what they say. And it's not just voices. It's images too. If someone-"

"Let's call him Joe." I suggested, trying to make it easier for him. He laughed, but continued.

"Alright then. If Joe is thinking about a large ice-cream, I see it too."

"But, can you read anyone's mind anywhere??" as my question was out, he thought for a moment.

"Well, I can't read _your_ mind. Why that is, I don't know. But other than you, I haven't met anyone who I haven't been able to read. But on the other hand, I haven't been able to read minds for a long time, so I don't really know. And for distance, I do have a limit. But from our house, I could vaguely hear people from the highway. So I guess a mile or two."

His answers we're fascinating, but one thing bothered me.

"But why _me_? Is there something wrong with me??" I asked to myself, thinking. I _have_ taken a lot of tumbles in my life, but was that enough to make me a mental mute??

He laughed at what I had said, and I looked over at his amused face.

"Do you _want_ me to be able to read my mind?? To know all your deepest secrets?? To know what you're thinking all the time, everywhere, every minute??" his mocking tone made his words slightly more unserious. But when I thought it through, he was right. I _didn't_ want him to read my mind. Actually it's pretty good he can't.

"When you put it like that, no." My nervous answer made him laugh. Sure, he was my best friend and…well, kind of my boyfriend. But we all have secrets we can't tell, even to the ones we love, right?

"Hmmm…You sound worried. Is there something you're hiding from me??" his question was a joke to him, but I tensed up anyway. Because there was only one thing (Well 2 if you count Jake) that I _absolutely_ couldn't tell him, and that was Smith. He was my problem only. I wouldn't let anyone else get entwined into this mess of supernatural and dark secrets.

"Hah. I'd rather not share all the murdering I've done since we moved apart. It wouldn't be that pretty. You would start to avoid me." I joked nervously, my voice slightly shaking. But he just moved one of his hands from the wheel to my knee and stroked it gently.

"I think it would take a little more than a few homicides to keep us apart." He smiled, and then removed his hand and concentrated on his steering.

***At School***

"Hey…are you alright??" Alice asked Edward as we walked over to her. She stood by her yellow Porsche, having many curious and jealous admirers standing around it. Edward groaned, and shook his head. I had asked him the exact same question just a minute before, but he had just said that it was alright and that I didn't need to worry. I guess it had gotten worse.

"I have the _worst_ headache in the world… You should just know what they're thinking…ugh." He sighed again, and rubbed his temples. Alice thought about it, how she could help her brother, and then jumped in excitement as she had thought up a plan. Edward groaned as she grinned at him, already seen her plans before she had said them out loud.

"Come on, it's perfect! If you have any better in mind, let me hear it." Alice was already digging in her purse, and then threw her keys at me. I nearly dropped them, and then looked at her, confused.

"Hey! What is this? What are you doing?" I asked and lifted the small bunch of keys with my thumb and index finger. She rolled her eyes at me, and then took her brothers arm.

"We're leaving, so since you lifted with Edward, you can take my car home. I'll get it tomorrow morning." She said and started to walk back to Edward's car.

"But…what...wait a minute! Why are you leaving??" I asked as I half-ran to catch up with them. What was the meaning with this?? Edward suddenly just got a huge headache, and now Alice is telling me that they're both leaving, and I get to take her car home??

Alice stopped dead in her tracks, turned around and put a hand on my shoulder, looking dead-serious.

"Take care of it while I'm gone, alright??" And with those words, she ran away with Edward, who had an apologizing look on his face, to the Volvo, and speeded away. Why did they leave?

**EPOV**

"I have the _worst_ headache in the world…" I complained, trying to mute the annoying thoughts that rushed to my head.

_Who are those?? I haven't seen them here before…_

_Oh my god, that's such a nice car! Who can afford something like this?? It's pretty sweet, but an ugly color though…_

_Ah! There he is! Have a low profile, have a low profile…._

_Man, am I hot or not?? Dude, the chicks are going to pass out when they see me because of my awesomeness…_

All of them were the same, stupid and uninteresting. The only mind I'd love to read was blocked, and with a reason unknown.

_What are we going to do?? You can't go to school like this!_ Alice thought, and thought through millions of things she could do to help me. Finally, she thought of something she considered as the master plan.

_It's perfect! We just have to get you to another crowded place where no one knows you and train you!_ She thought, her thoughts sounding excited and joyful. I groaned, not wanting to leave Bella here, but her plan made sense.

"Come on, it's perfect! If you have any better in mind, let me hear it." Alice began to dig in her purse after her car keys to give Bella, and then threw them on her as she had found them. I didn't like that. Bella fumbled with them, almost dropping them to the wet ground, and then got a good grip on them, and lifted them with her thumb and her index finger.

"Hey! What is this? What are you doing?" She asked, my angel sounding so confused it was nearly heartbreaking. Alice rolled her eyes at her, and then took my arm.

_We better not tell her, it's better that way. Otherwise she'll worry about you the whole day._ Alice thought soothingly.

"We're leaving, so since you lifted with Edward, you can take my car home. I'll get it tomorrow morning." She informed Bella, and then began to drag me away to my Volvo.

"But…what...wait a minute! Why are you leaving??" I heard her small steps behind us as she ran to catch up with us. Alice continued to walk, but then stopped, when she began to think of her _baby_. She turned around and placed her hand on Bella's shoulder, and spoke with a grave tone.

"Take care of it while I'm gone, alright??" she didn't wait for Bella to answer, and then continued to drag me across the parking lot to my car.

I unlocked it with my key and hopped in, starting it quickly. Alice sat beside me, searching the future for possible obstacles. I began to drive away, and spotted a girl in the rear-view mirror. Her chocolate eyes watched me as I drove away, her expression puzzled and slightly hurt. I considered turning around, but the murmur that had stayed quiet in the background in my head now became loud voices, all of them talking at the same time. My headache increased, and I continued to drive, trying not to look at the girl.

**BPOV**

I sighed, and began to walk towards the school building. Edward and I had arrived quite early, so there were only a few students here. I dreaded what was coming, and never wanted that first class to begin. I entered the building, and then sat down on a small bench in the corridor. I opened my bag to get my book, when a saw the small, yellow onion lying in the bottom of the bag. I had forgotten about that. I grabbed it and took it out of the bag. Would smith really stay away from me if I had this??

_Speak of the devil, and the devil shall appear…_

I guess I got my answer, because suddenly, he was just standing in front of me, having a worried look on his face. The corridor was empty except the two of us, and his golden eyes we're staring down at me.

"Are you being bullied??" His strange question made me frown in confusion. Why would I be bullied?? The only personal problem I had was him.

"Eh…no. Why do you ask??" I asked, bemused why he had asked such thing. He made his answer sounding like it was obvious.

"You just found an onion in your bag." He said, stating the obvious. This was …strange. Wasn't he going to yell at me and stuff like that?? Maybe he's in a better mood now Edward's gone…

"I know. I put it there." I told him, and then I remembered the reason why I put it there. I looked up at him, and he didn't look affected by it at all! He only had eyes for me, staring at me intently.

"Why did you do that???" He sounded as confused as I felt. Why wasn't this working?!?

"To get you to stay away from me. But obviously, that didn't work. I've always thought that vampires detested onions." As soon as the words were out of my mouth, he began to laugh. I didn't understand why, because my question was dead serious. But apparently, my question wasn't that serious to him. He sat down next to me, still chuckling.

"That's just one of many other myths. Humans just made up things like that to sooth them into believing that we're easy to kill."

"Oh…" I stared at him, about to say something else, when I heard a familiar voice.

"Oh! There you are! I've been looking for you forever!" A male voice exclaimed from my left, and suddenly I was crushed in a large hug. I remember this voice…

_**Super mini Flashback *swoosh***_

"_You're welcome." A __male voice I didn't recognize answered, chuckling slightly. That only made my want to get to my car even faster. As I got in, I put the heaters on and started the old truck and made my way over to the Cullen's house._

_**End of flashback *swoosh***_

This voice... It was him, that guy that helped me up last Friday when I fell. What was this guy doing here, and why was he hugging me??

In the corner of my eye, I saw how Smith was glaring murderously at the unknown person, and then suddenly, the boy who had hugged me began to drag me from my seat.

"How lucky I ran into you! You have no idea how hard it was finding ones place here when you're new." He babbled on as he dragged me around the corner, leaving the pissed vampire on the bench behind. The anonymous person suddenly stopped, and I bumped into his chest. I looked up and saw a boy, about my age. He had black, messy hair and crystal blue eyes. He was grinning, and looked at me.

"Nice meeting you again. Are you okay?? I mean, that fall last Friday looked painful. You don't have any bruises anyway." He said, and stroked my cheek gently. I blushed at his sudden action, and moved away from him.

"Eh, I'm alright thank you. Who are you??" I asked, but my question was drowned in the sound of the bell.

"I'll see you at lunch then. Bye!" he said, gave me a small kiss on the cheek, and then walked away, quite quickly if you ask me. I stood there, shocked and embarrassed when I suddenly noticed that I wasn't alone in the corridor; several people we're staring at me with curious and shocked eyes. I quickly began to walk away to my first class, escaping from their gazes. As I walked, I thought about that boy. Who was he?? Why did he do that??

**Alice POV**

In the middle of our trip to Seattle, my phone started to buzz. I took it out of my purse, and answered.

"Hello?"

"Hello, this is Marie, Liz's mother. Is the girls still with you??" The person on the other side asked, and I frowned.

"No, both of them went home after dinnertime. Why do you ask??" I asked, and a second before she answered, I got my answer.

"None of the girls made it home last night. I assumed that they stayed another night." Mrs. Brown said; her voice thick with tears.

"Well, they did talk about something yesterday…but I thought they were just playing around…" I trailed off, thinking of last night.

"What are you talking about??" Mrs. Brown asked, and I swallowed so I could answer her.

"They talked about running away from Forks, to some big city far away, but I didn't take them seriously…" I spoke slowly, remembering last night.

_**Flashback of the night before *swoosh***_

"_But hey…wouldn't it be cool just to run away, just the three of us?? Alice got the money, I have the brain, and… well, Liz you're just a charming person who's tagging along." Mia said, and then had to duck so she wouldn't get hit by the pillow Liz had thrown._

"_Haha, thanks." She scoffed, and rolled her eyes at her, but her lips had a small smile on them._

"_No, but seriously, wouldn't that be awesome; seeing the big cities, just the three of us?" Mia said, her eyes glittering with joy._

"_I don't think that's such a good idea Mia…" I said, giggling. _

"_Fine, Alice's out. Adventure isn't her thing apparently. But you're with me Liz? Please, are you with me?" Mia asked, begging almost. Liz laughed, but nodded._

"_If you're that desperate, I guess I can be your shopping partner when we take on the big apple." She joked._

_**End of flashback *swoosh***_

"Thank you for your help Alice, it was really good information. Goodbye." Mrs. Brown said, and hung up on me. I sat there in the car for a moment, just staring out the window without talking, just thinking to myself.

"You think they really ran away??" Edward asked who of course had heard the whole conversation in my mind.

"I…I don't know. They _could've_ run away, but I still don't believe it…" I trailed off, looking out the window. Did they really run away?? Or did something else happen to them??

**Mia's POV**

***The day before***

"See you tomorrow then!" I said as Alice closed the door, and then walked together with Liz to my car.

"Did you really want to run away??" Liz asked as we sat down in the car and begun to drive away from the Cullen's house.

"No, I was just kidding. Of course I want to see the world and stuff like that, but I'll do that when I have money and graduated from Collage. I didn't mean, like, now." I said, and laughed, thinking how bizarre it sounded. She laughed with me, and then sighed.

"You and Alice are really the best friends you can get." She said. I looked over to her, and smiled.

"You too." I told her. She smiled, but then her expression turned horrified. Her eyes widened in fear and she screamed.

"Mia! Look out!!" she screamed, and pointed at the road. I looked over and saw a dark shape, no, a silhouette of a man standing in the middle of the road. I screamed as well, and stomped on the break. The car skidded, the tires screaming in protest.

_Oh no! Please don't hit him…_

I did get my wish fulfilled. But when I look back at it, I wish I had looked on the road, and avoid all of it that happened next. But that wouldn't probably made any difference; it would've happened anyway.

It all happened very fast. Suddenly, when I thought I would drive over him, a large impact hit the car, sending it to its side, and then making it roll off the road. When it stopped, we we're upside down, and pain shot through me everywhere. I tried to look over where Liz sat, but I couldn't see anything. I felt something wet running down my face; blood. Then, I heard a dark, male voice, with a slight French accent.

"Ah…two delicious girls. Which one should I begin with?? You both smell so … _appetizing_." He said; his voice was smooth as silk. And it was after that when the screaming and pain began.

**Playlist: How far we've come – Matchbox Twenty**

**A/N: OH! Who was outside the car, and who's that strange guy who kissed Bella?? Anyways, the day in the story isn't over yet, so many things can happen (especially involving that new guy, Smith and Bellie)**

**Please review my awesome readers!! //RF**


	9. That was something I didn’t expect

**A/N: Sorry for the late update, I'm really tired and I got sick last week :( And sorry, this will be kind of short too, but I hope you like it anyways! :D**

**Chapter 9: That was something I didn't expect **

**BPOV**

That…was one of the strangest things I've ever experienced. Who was this boy??? And…and why did he kiss me?!?

I immediately touched my cheek without thinking, and blushed. The warning bell rang, and I sighed happily as I saw the classroom door of my first class. Then I remembered who I had as teacher in the first class, and my stomach dropped to the floor. Smith. If he didn't like that me and Edward hung out with each other, what would he think of the new boy? Sure, he was weird, but I don't want him to die. He hasn't done anything wrong what I know of except the kiss on the cheek). He _will _kill him if I don't stop him. Oh god, why did my life have to be so complicated?? Why do all these paranormal creatures surround me?? And why do I have to have a vampire stalker?? Why can't I just have a normal boyfriend who can't read minds, a normal teacher who didn't love me, a normal friend who couldn't morph into a wolf, and …a normal life without all this trouble?

I took a few shaky breaths before I entered the classroom, where students still sat and talked and no Smith in sight. I quickly walked over to my seat, and took my books out of my bag. The yellow onion was still lying in the bottom of the bag, and now I felt a little stupid for bringing it. Okay, maybe not stupid, but frustrated that it hadn't worked. But on the other hand, what _did_ work on Smith?? I have no idea what his weak side is at all…

He's like this perfect god (except for the pedophilic, stalking creepiness). He's good looking (even thought I hate him, I can't ignore that), he's super fast and strong (which is quite scary) and he has superpowers (which is _really_ scary). And as far as I know, he's flawless. He has no weakness, and-

My thoughts were interrupted when I saw someone entering the classroom. But it wasn't Smith: it was that boy again. He entered the class quietly and graceful, and the class immediately got quiet as they did what I was doing; studying the boy.

He began to walk to an empty seat, and then suddenly, he spotted me. His eyes brightened, and a smile lit his face. He walked over to me, and sat down next to me.

"Hi there! Nice seeing you again!" his voice sounded happy, and a little surprised.

"Eh, yeah…" I answered a little hesitant, feeling the gazes of the others in the class. He grinned, and as he continued to talk, Smith entered the room. Either he didn't notice, or he didn't know the golden rule in Smiths classroom: Shut up and listen and you won't die. I'd bet it was both.

"Man I didn't know we shared this class. We just continue to bump into each other. It must be fate or something." He joked, and chuckled a little. Smith was glaring murderously at us and the phrase '_if looks could kill_' suddenly felt too weak: If it had been _'if looks could rip out your throat and watch you bleed to death'_, it would've fitted much better. And I'm not over exaggerating a bit. I'm sure other people in the class were so scares they peed themselves.

"How nice of you to share with the rest of us Mr.…?" he trailed off suggestively.

"Lewis. Rick Lewis." The boy, who apparently was named Rick said, and turned to Smith. Smith smiled. I had seen him smile before; those smiles had been filled often with joy, or at least been a little _happy. _Or they had been stained, and not quite happy. But this smile was anything but nice, and if the other smiles were strained, I had no idea what this was.

"Well then Mr. Lewis, would you be so kind to do the assignment number 38 on page 103 on the board please?" he asked, but it was anything else but nice. But what terrified me the most was Rick's reaction. He smiled. And it was nothing like Smiths smiles; scary and strained. His smile was pleasant, maybe even beautiful. He rose from his seat, giving me a small wink before he walked over to the board, which Smith saw clearly.

At that moment I was really scared that the Rick kid was going to die right there on the spot. No one I've known have had the courage to stand up to him, anyone who's not stupid (Mike) or just not human (Jake) that is. But I had no idea if Rick was an idiot or something that's not human, and I really hoped that it was neither of those options.

"I'd love to…but I have no book, sir." Rick said as he had gripped the chalk, and grinned at the furious professor, who was glaring at him and then turned to glare at the rest of the class. Snickers that had occurred in the class instantly silenced, and Smith turned back to the smiling boy.

_Oh, why did this boy have to die?? _I thought, and rubbed my temples. It was so unfair. Why did someone that seemed to nice have to die because Smith had bad temper.

"Pardon me," Smith said, and opened a drawer and took out an exercise book; it looked just like the ones we had, except it was falling to pieces. "Here you are." He flung it at the boy, who caught it without any problem. Rick opened it, and turned the pages until he found the right page. He put the finger on the exercise, and then chuckled to himself.

"Is there any problem, Mr. Lewis??" Smith asked in an emotionless voice, but I knew he was mocking him inside his head.

"Oh no, not at all." Rick said, who tried to collect himself when he answered him, but he couldn't quite wipe out that small grin of his.

"Well then, if there's no problem, please begin. The rest of you can start on page 40. _Now_." The room stayed quiet after his demand, except the sound of pencils writing on paper, and the sound of Rick as he quickly wrote the long equation on the board. But he did it with a smile on his face, which I think made Smith even more irritated, even if he didn't show it.

***5 minutes later***

"Eh, excuse me sir, I'm done." Rick said 5 minutes later, and all of the students stopped writing to look at the board. Lots of numbers were written all over the board, many calculations all over the place, but the answer stood in the corner of the board. Did he really write all that in 5 minutes?? Wow…that's _a lot_ of writing.

"Alright, let's take a look…"Smith said as his eyes slowly inspected the long board, even though he could've looked at it in a second and known the answer right away. Halfway through, he frowned slightly, not happy with the result on the board. After a minute of inspecting, he looked away from the board. He still glowered as he sent Rick back to his seat next to me, angry that he had gotten it right.

People were staring at each other, and if this hadn't been Smith's class, they all had been babbling at full force. But this _was_ smith's class, so if you wanted to talk, you had to try to do it with telepathy, otherwise you'd get an F on your next test.

"What is all this nonsense about?? Start working; _NOW!_" Smith growled as he realized that nobody was working, just staring at each other, wondering if they dared to open their mouths and talk about the recent happening.

All of us began to work again, but I couldn't help but to cast a few glances at Rick, who sat beside me, who apparently was kick-ass at math. Sometimes he caught me looking, and smiled at me. I blushed and looked away, finding it embarrassing to get busted looking. I was curious. Who was this guy?? Who was he, what was he doing here?? And most important of all: is he a guy I should stay away from?? What if he's a Mike #2?? Or a _Smith_ #2?? Ugh, that would be bad... But he doesn't really seem to be like that; you know, _freaky_… he just seems to be like the rest of my friends: _strange_.

***Later***

"Okay, remember to do assignment 14 for tomorrow." Smith said as the bell rang, and all of us quickly collect our stuff so we could get the heck out of there. Well all of us except Rick, that is. He slowly gathered his things, and then yawned and stretched in his seat.

"Man, math always makes me so tired." He said, and after that, he mumbled something I couldn't hear. I think he said, 'I'll have to trade next time' but I don't really know.

"What?" I asked, and he turned to me with a smile on his face.

"Oh, it's nothing." He said with a smile, and was about to say something else, when a snap from the front of the classroom brought our focus to Smith again. Nothing _appeared_ to have happened, but I still wonder where he had hidden the thing he had broken. He smiled wryly at us, and tapped his watch.

"Mr. Lewis, Miss Swan, I don't have all day. The lesson is finished, now please _leave_." The last word was more harshly than the others, but his smile stayed put, which made it even scarier. Inside my head, I repeated constantly that he wouldn't hurt us, and it paid off. My scared limbs began to move, and I made my way out of the classroom with Rick right behind me.

"Wow…that guy's a nightmare." Rick told me as we walked down the corridor a minute later.

"Yeah, he's like that….I wouldn't anger him if I were you." I advised him, and he laughed. What was so funny? I gave him a serious advice here; not to anger the vampire.

"Why not? That would be kind of fun." He said with a smirk, and then dropped it as he saw my shocked and scared face. His eyes narrowed as he continued to look at my face, inspecting it.

"You're scared of him." He guessed, which was totally right of course. _What should I do? I suck at lying!_ I thought helplessly to myself and then decided I'd try to avoid the topic with a joke. It's not that I'm terrified of him, but if someone makes the suggestion to irritate the touchy vampire stalker, you get a little shaky.

"Yeah, he's failed me so many times he now haunts my dreams." That was only half a lie. He's never failed me or given me a bad score on a test. But he _has_ haunted my dreams. Just thinking about them makes me shiver…

Rick laughed, and then patted my back.

"Nah, you're gonna make it. I saw you in there, you're pretty good. Keep it up Bambi." He said, and then began to walk away from me. Blood rushed to my cheeks as embarrassment and anger hit me.

"Don't call me that!" I called after him in anger, but he only laughed.

"See ya later." He said over his shoulder, and then disappeared around the corner. I sighed and walked over to my locker to get my books for my next lesson.

***later***

"Ah! We share this class too??" Rick said as we met each other in the doorway of my English class.

"Well, apparently we do." I said and entered the room.

"That's funny! This is so great!" he exclaimed and surprised me by giving me a hug from behind. All the people that already were here stopped talking and stared at us with wide eyes. I blushed because of the attention, and turned around to push him away.

"That's really great, but don't hug me." I told him, a clear sign for him to back of a little. At least, that's what I thought.

"What do you want to do then?? I have several things in mind…" he trailed off with a grin on his face, and I rolled my eyes at him and walked to my seat. I was glad that we didn't have Smith in this class, because then Rick would've been dead by now.

I sat down next to Angela, my partner I this class and she smiled.

"Hi." She said quietly, not the kind of person that speaks so much.

"Hi." I smiled back at her, and took out my books out of my backpack. Then I felt a tap on my shoulder, and turned around to see those deep blue eyes stare at me.

"Okay, you don't need to be so touchy about it; it was a joke." Rick said, and I sighed. Sure, the kid was nice and all, but when people follow me around and never really leave me alone for a moment, I get a little annoyed. Anyone would.

"Okay, no offence taken." I said with a sort of strained smile and then turned to Angela. "So, how was your weekend??" I asked her, but she had no time to answer because our English teacher just had entered the room, and the lesson began.

***After the lesson***

The lesson went fast, and Angela and I was a really good team, like usually. But the annoying voice that came from behind me that always called my name, tried to make a conversation was pretty irritating.

"That was fun."Rick said as we exited the class. I nodded, and let my eyes gaze out at the corridor as I half-listened at Rick's babble. It was kind of strange that he couldn't find another playmate to talk to…

The corridor was full of people, and several of them were looking at Rick, who didn't seem to see his environment at all. But it was one figure in the back that didn't look like others. His eyes were too dark and skin too pale. It was (of course) Smith. He was staring at me, and when he had eye contact with me he began to walk over to us. Rick, who had been talking the whole time, didn't notice.

"Miss Swan, may I talk to you about your latest test result? It won't take long." He asked when he had arrived to the two of us, and Rick stopped babbling. Smith ignored Rick completely, and I sighed. I rather doubt that he was going to talk test results with me, but I better get this over with now or never.

"Okay." I told him with a sigh, and then turned to Rick to tell him goodbye. "I'll see you later." I began to walk into the direction of Smith's classroom.

"Yeah, see ya." I heard him say in response behind me, and then his voice got blurred out by the other students in the hall. Smith walked beside me, and casted me strange glances every now and then. When we finally made it to his classroom, he closed the door firmly behind him, and walked over to his desk.

"So, what about my test?" I asked, even though I knew this was nothing about my test. But a girl could always dream, right?

"Actually, I wanted to talk about something else. Will you please come here?" he asked and I sighed, knowing better than to disobey him and walked over to his desk, only to glare angrily at him. He stared back emotionless at me, and began to speak.

"Bella, I see you met this new student."

"So?" I shot back at him angrily, furious that he was invading my personal life.

"So," he continued. "I think you should stay away from him." As fast as his words were out of his mouth, I groaned. Not this again!

"Are you telling me to ignore every male in the world except yourself?" I spat out at him through my gritted teeth.

"Would you do that for me?" he asked, and I felt disgusted when I heard that he actually had some hope in his voice.

"No! Why isn't it clear to you that I just _really_ hate you, and I don't want to be with you! Can't you just leave? Just get out of this town forever and never speak to me again?"I almost pleaded and closed my eyes and buried my head in my hands. He didn't answer, but it was rather obvious what his answer was.

"Bella."

I didn't answer.

"Bella." He called again, and this time I looked up. He was staring intensely at me, and he had moved closer to my face.

"Stay away from the Lewis kid." He said, and as he did, his eyes darkened a bit more than they already were.

"What? No!" I asked in confusion and moved away from him. What had just happened? That wasn't just a normal request, it was more like a demand, and what was the thing with his eyes??

"_What_?!" Smith asked, and his voice was furious. I stared at him, not understanding where his anger came from except me refusing, but that shouldn't have ticked him off that much. I mean, what did he think I was going to answer?

"How couldn't it have worked? It has always worked!" He talked to himself, and wandered around in front of the blackboard behind his desk. I frowned at his strange behavior, and dared to ask.

"Exactly _what_ didn't work?" I asked. He turned around, and his face was twisted in anger.

"The manipul-" he began, but stopped himself. I stared at him for a second before my rage – that had boiled inside me as soon as he had begun to say _manipulation – _exploded.

"You tried to _manipulate _me?!? That strange superhuman thing you told me about before?? _That_?!?" I yelled at him, and felt how tears began to develop in my eyes; tears of rage.

"Bella, you just have to understand that-"he began, but was cut off by the bell. I gladly escaped from his classroom, and was happy when he didn't stop me. I wiped my eyes as I walked to geography, already having my books with me, and tried to take deep breaths to calm down.

He tried to manipulate me! That bastard! He _actually_ tried to manipulate me! But…but it didn't work. That's right, it didn't work… How's that? Is it the same reason why Edward can't read my mind??

I sighed, and shook my head, as like I tried to shake off my resent thoughts. The classroom door was still open, and I gladly entered, happy to see I wasn't late. But the sight inside surprised me utterly.

"Bella! We knew you had this class too!" two familiar and identical voices said at once, and I was crushed by two people at the same time.

"Wha-what??!" I asked in shock. But then one of them spoke.

"But hey, cut it out Mick, she told you she didn't like hugs, didn't she??" it said, and they let me go. I looked at the two identical boys, and stared in amazement and surprise.

"Yeah, sorry Rick." One of the identical twins said, and grinned at me.

"What? I don't understand. There are two of you." I said, and stared at the two identical boys. There wasn't any difference between them, not even their clothes, and both of them grinned.

"Isn't it obvious? We're twins." Both of them said in unison.

**Playlist: Stop and Stare - OneRepublic**

**A/N: Please review and tell me your thoughts! //RF**


	10. Getting to know each other

**A/N: Sorry for the delay, I've been writing the second chapter for the prequel, that will be up tomorrow (probably) But for now, here's chapter 10! :D  
Disclaimer: I don't own twilight, no matter how hard I wish…**

**Chapter 10: Getting to know each other a little better**

**BPOV**

This was… a shock. I stared at them in surprise as I thought through the moments I'd met them. I had seen no difference before; both of their flawless faces (But of course Edward is much more handsome) had no dissimilarity to each other, they were wearing the exact same clothes, even their accessories were the same, and as far as I knew their personality we're pretty much the same.

"Hey Rick, look at her. She looks like she's in shock." Mick (I think) said, and a hand waved in front of my face, bringing me out of my haze. I blinked a few times, and then looked at the two brothers.

"You're twins?" I know the question was absolutely obvious, but I couldn't help but to ask. The surprise had taken its toll on me, and now my brain wasn't working correctly.

"Isn't that obvious-"Rick (or was it Mick?) began, and then Mick, or whoever it was, finished, "For someone smart like you?"

I blushed in embarrassment, and began to move towards my seat. Unfortunately, Mike had decided to sit somewhere else today, and left me alone at my table. The two brothers didn't miss the opportunity, and sat down on both my sides.

"So, what are we working with today?" One of them asked, and smiled at me.

"Yeah Bella, give us a hint; we're clueless here." The one on my right agreed and both of them stared at me.

"Why don't you just ask the teacher?" I said, and opened my book so I could begin. They both chuckled and moved closer to me with their chairs.

"Ah Bella, you're always so…" One of them trailed off in thought. The other twin decided to help him and finish his sentence.

"Distinctive. But that's just what we like about you. You're one of a kind."

Then class started, and the two brothers were forced to be quiet. But they had their ways. I don't understand; can all siblings communicate with their eyes?? Alice and Edward does it, and Rick and Mick too. They just look into each other's eyes; make small gestures and facial expressions. How can you communicate like that? Well, it's a sibling thing I guess.

"Alright then, now we're going to work in pairs of two. Please work with the one you're sitting next to. You may start." Mrs. Allison said and turned her back to her talking class. Rick and Mick looked at each other and grinned, and then turned to me.

"Shall we get started??" both of them said in unison, and looked at me with eyes that glittered with so many emotions; slyness, joy, smugness and a little bit of curiosity.

"Yeah, sure. Okay, so our first question is-"I began and looked at the paper we had in front of us, when a fast hand snitched away from me with a grin.

"That's boring."Lewis #1 said and faked a yawn.

"Yeah. Let's talk about something more _interesting_." The other one said, and the slyness in his eyes increased tremendously. I was a little worried now. It wasn't that I hated the two of them, but there was something about them…I don't know, something was off about them. But I didn't know yet.

"…Like what??" I asked hesitantly. Both of their grins grew and I couldn't help to notice how beautiful both of them was. Their messy, black hair as dark as the night, their crystal clear, sapphire blue eyes so deep that you could drown in them. Their smiles were perfect in every way, and they had good taste in fashion. But nothing of that was more beautiful than Edward's reddish-brown puff on his head, his emerald green eyes shining warmly at me, and his smile. That breathtaking smile was probably the most beautiful thing I've seen in this world, except Edward himself.

"Like you." Their answer was quite surprising, and I frowned in confusion. Me? Why should we talk about me on a geography lesson?? That doesn't make any sense.

"M-me?" I stuttered and stared at them in disbelief. I wasn't exactly the topic of the day; not in my eyes that is. I'm just a normal, boring, and soon-to-be eighteen years old.

"Yes, now let's begin. Your full name??" One of them asked, and I sighed in defeat, knowing I had to go through this.

"Isabella Marie Swan."

"Family??"

"I'm the only child, my parents got divorced two years ago, and now I'm living with my dad." I decided to tell the short story of how it all happened.

"Boyfriend??" As soon as this question was out, my cheeks started to burn, and I avoided their stares. They smiled, like hyenas look at their prey's as they begin to play with them before they die. I didn't answer them, but that was apparently enough for them.

"Oh, so there is someone?"One of them said, and playfully elbowed me. I was about to answer him, when the other one said something that almost made me pass out of surprise and disgust.

"Who is it? That Smith guy?? Don't be shy, you can tell us." He said, and winked. I blushed with embarrassment and anger. This was bad. Not only because someone suggested Smith's dream of all time which was gross, but that means that they had noticed the affection Smith has for me.

"What? No! That's disgusting!! How can you even- "I began to rant, when one of them interrupted me with a thoughtful expression.

"But how can you guys keep it a secret?? I mean, isn't that kind of relationship illegal?? And you have a point, it is kind of disgusting. I mean, he-"I didn't want the subject to get any further, so I interrupted him by telling the truth.

"Smith is _not_ my boyfriend. Edward Cullen is." It showed in their expressions that my answer wasn't as interesting as their suggestion had been, but at least it was something. It was hilarious.

"_Him_?? Edward Cullen is your boyfriend!?" one of them exclaimed in disbelief, and then they both began to laugh like maniacs like they just had heard a hilarious joke. I stared at them in wonder. Why was that so funny??

"Is there anything particularly funny that you two would like to share with the rest of the class??" Mrs. Allison asked, the two laughing brothers next to me, and our classmates' conversations died out as they stared at us. Rick and Mick's laugher stopped, and they stared at Mrs. Allison with…well, not puppy eyes, but something in that direction. And when they spoke, they talked in a smooth and calm tone that every girl in the class founded sexy. Everyone in the class except me that is.

"We're sorry Mrs. Allison."

"We we're just laughing for ourselves about old times."

"We didn't mean to disturb." As they spoke, you saw how Mrs. Allison's cheeks reddened and she got very wobbly.

"Oh. Alright." She answered in a low tone and held her hands on her chest. Then, she remembered the rest of the class that was partly staring/drooling at the brothers, and partly looking at her with deep frowns on their faces. I was one of them.

"What are you all staring at? Get back to work! Immediately!" She said in an angry tone, and then went back to her papers on her desk. Talking started to escalate again in class, but now, none of the conversations was about geography.

"What was that??" I asked them, and they grinned at me, something they did a lot apparently.

"I don't know what you're talking about. Do you dear brother??" The one to my right said in a sly voice, and his brother answered him in the same tone.

"I have no idea. Shall we continue with our lovely conversation?"

"Absolutely." And then they turned to me.

"Edward Cullen??" They asked in doubtful voices, and I glared at them. I had no idea why they couldn't grasp the idea of me and Edward dating, but it was starting to get a little annoying. I mean, was it because he was too godlike for me?? Was it because they thought we we're too different?? But hey…have they even met Edward?? How can they judge someone who they haven't even met??

_Maybe they aren't judging him; maybe they're judging you._ The voice told me, and I had to agree with it. They hadn't met Edward, so how could they know who he was??

"What?? Why is it so hard to understand that I'm dating Edward??" I said in a slightly higher voice, and I heard female gasps of shock behind me.

_Oh crap…that'll hurt in the morning. They'll probably ambush me before I get home from school and interrogate me. Good thing I have a fast car…_ I thought and then waited for their answer, which was nothing that I had expected.

"You're way out of his league." They said both at the same time, which they seemed to do a lot. Must be a twin thing…

I stared at them in disbelief. Had they even seen Edward?? No. How can they even say something as ridiculous as that?? That the god doesn't deserve the plain, ordinary human??

"W-w-w-what?? Have you even seen him??" I asked them, stuttering. Anyone who's ever seen Edward would easy know how beautiful and perfect he is.

"Of course we have. We know lots of him too."

"How is that even possible?? You started today, and he's not here today!" I exclaimed in frustration, thinking that they played with me.

"Well, 1; there is something called a yearbook. And 2; there's lots of girls in this school who knows more things about him than you."

"We got lots of information from that girl called Jessica. I even think she had a stalker book where she wrote down everything she knew about him." And then they chuckled. Ah, Jessica. I haven't met her anything this month that has passed since Edward got here. It's not like we talk and are best buddies. Never been, never will be. But she likes to talk with Edward a lot, and when she does, she just ignores that I'm there.

"Well, if you know so much about him, you should know that it's the other way around."I said, and they stared at me like I was crazy.

"Bella, you seriously need to see yourself clearer. I mean, come on. "The on my right said and placed his arm around my shoulder.

"Yeah, I mean you can have any guy in the world, and you choose him?? It's just that we think that you can have so much better." He said, and I raised an eyebrow at him.

"Really?? Like who??" I asked.

"Well, I don't know." Both of them said as they turned away from me, whistling a random tune.

"Ha-ha, very funny. Did you want to ask anything more, or can we start to work now??" I asked, hoping for a 'yes, we're done talking' but it was obvious that that wouldn't happen anytime soon.

"Well-"one of them began, when they we're hushed by Mrs. Allison, who had begun to talk.

***After the lesson***

The bell rang, and many students cheered as they collected their books so they could go to lunch. I stretched my tense muscles in my seat, and stood up.

"So, it's lunch now huh??" one of the Lewis brothers said and looked at me.

"Yeah." I took my bag from my chair and turned to one of them.

"Great!" They both said, and grabbed me by the arms. I protested as they began to walk out of there, with me as their prisoner between them.

"What are you doing?!" I complained as they continued to walk, holding my arms in case I'd try to escape; well, that's how I saw it anyway.

"Going to lunch."

"Isn't that obvious?"

I sighed and tried to ignore the fact that every human being that we passed stared at us. I didn't like attention, it was only annoying and bothersome.

"Alright, but can you let me go?? Or at least not drag me in my arms like you are now." I begged. They released my arms, but grabbed my hands instead, which made the stares even worse.

"You're right Bella, this is even better than before!" one of them exclaimed as we entered the full seated cafeteria and walked over to the line.

"Yeah, yeah. Can't you let me go?? Please???" I asked again, not liking the stares we got from the table where Jessica and Lauren sat. Their glares almost burned in my back, and I hoped that the twins beside me would let me go quickly.

"Why would we??" One of them said and looked at me with questioning eyes.

"Yes, your hand is so warm and soft…" The other one trailed off, and then both of them lifted my hands in the exact same moment, and kissed my hand gracefully, just as they do in the movies. I blushed and snatched my hands out of their grips, finally free. I sneaked a peek on the table were the bitchy bitches sat. And their glares confirmed it. Yes, they had seen it, and yes, they were pissed.

I gulped as I took my sandwich and soda and walked over to a small, empty table. I hoped that they wouldn't follow me, that they would pick another table to sit at, and make new friends. But no. Life isn't fair.

They sat down on the opposite side from me, and stared at me. If you thought about it, they we're practically strangers to me. Today was the first time I've met either of them…

"Hey, I've answered questions about myself, so now it's your turn." I said as I opened the soda. They smiled friendly at me and the one at the right took a bite of his sandwich.

"What do you want to know??" the other one asked, and a first question popped into my head, which fitted into the situation perfectly (well, for me).

"Which one of you are Mick and who's Rick??" I asked, and they chuckled.

"No one will ever know, isn't that right my brother?"

"You're entirely correct." He answered and high-fived his brother with a grin. I sighed.

"Very funny," I said, and then changed my voice to a more quiet and helpless voice." Can't you tell me, please??"I tried to beg them with puppy eyes and using such smooth voice as they had before in the classroom with Mrs. Allison. And it worked to my surprise. They stared at me for a few seconds for reacting.

"He's Rick." Mick said, who sat to the right of his brother, and pointed at his brother.

"He's Mick." Rick said, and did the same. Inside my head I was laughing. Was it that easy to get information from them?? It was like stealing candy from a kid. When they got a taste of their own medicine, they were quite helpless…

"Well, I'm glad I could get that sorted out." I said and smiled at the two of them. Then Mick chuckled.

"Our mom was _really_ creative when she gave us our names. She might as well have named us to the same name, since she can't tell the difference." He said, and chuckled.

"Remember that time when she got mad at us and called us 'Dick'?? That was really funny."Rick said and laughed, and Mick joined in.

"Can't even your mom tell the difference between you two??" I asked, and looked at the two of them, trying to see any dissimilarity between them that might help me in the future.

"Nope. No one has been able to. Ever." Mick answered with a grin, like it was a Guinness record.

"Anything else?"Rick asked me.

"Well…what's your family like??" I asked.

"Our dad works in the computer business, and our mom works together with a …company in Europe. We're the only kids in the family and our mom and dad are still living with each other, even though they hate each other. That's because of grandma." Mick answered, and then took a bite of his sandwich.

"What do you mean??" I asked.

"Well, our parent's parents we're friends with each other, so when they mentioned that they both had single kids, they thought it would be a great idea of getting them married. So they did. Our parents didn't think it was such a big deal then, but now… "He shuddered in disgust.

"And our grandma is really stubborn. All French people seem to be." Rick continued.

"French?" I asked, sounding like an idiot who's never heard of the country.

"Yeah, didn't we tell you?? Our dad is French and our mom is half French, half American." Rick said, and I felt how my chin dropped to the floor.

"So…do you guys speak the language??"

"French? Or course! We we're practically forced to learn it by our parents. But when we started to study another language in school, we weren't allowed to study it since we already knew it, so our mom made us study Italian."

"Wow…" I mumbled under my breath, stunned by their ability to learn. Rick, who was at my math class, sure had some skills in that department, and I'm sure his brother is as talented as him.

"Rick, remember the other day when we we're going to eat dinner, and then you got that French accent out of nowhere??" Mick asked with a grin, and Rick laughed.

"Yeah, that was pretty strange…I have no idea where that came from."

"So, why did you move here??" I continued, dropping the subject.

"Well, it was work related; we didn't get so many details from our parents. All they did was cussing and telling us to pack our things. Ah, family moments…" Rick said sarcastically and smiled.

"Where do you live then??"

"We bought a house in the edge of town." He continued. "Mom didn't want to live in the center of town where it's so lively; she rather prefers quiet places. You just follow the highway a few miles until there's an exit." He explained. That reminded me that I had to take Alice's car home today…ugh, why did I have to ride with Edward today??

When I thought of all of this, I suddenly remembered the first time I met…well, when I met someone of them. And as I did, a question bubbled to my lips.

"Why did you start to talk to me??"I asked, and as soon as my question was out, they stared at me with deep frowns on their faces. "What I mean is, of all the people in this school, you decided to talk to me. I just wondered why; I mean, there's absolute nothing special about me." I said with a laugh.

"You're wrong." Rick said.

"You _are_ special, that's why we decided to talk with you." Mick finished, and they stared at me. I suddenly regretted for asking such a stupid question, and drank some soda to decrease the dryness in my throat.

"Anyways," Mick said, changing the subject."What _is _your deal with this Smith?? I mean, if you're not girlfriend and boyfriend, what is your relationship??" he asked, and suddenly my throat was ten thousand times dryer then it had been a second ago. Both of them stared at me, expecting an answer, as I gulped down the last of my soda in a lost attempt of losing the dry feeling.

The bell rang its warning, and I quickly rose from my seat.

"Oh, time to go. I'll see you guy's later, okay? Bye!"I quickly made my escape towards the exit, leaving my tray on the way out, and walked away to biology. _Saved by the bell_; so cliché, but oh so true.

***After school* **

Biology had been a lonely and boring place without Edward. We we're working with cells and lots of other stuff, and Mike sat beside me, talking through the whole lesson. I tried to listen in the beginning, just to be a little bit nice, but after a few minutes it became impossible. His babbling continued nonstop through the whole lesson. Either Rick or Mick was in this lesson, which made me a little bit soothed. Here they couldn't investigate more about me and Smith.

P.E. went as usual. In other words; I successfully almost killed everyone with my clumsiness.

I walked out to the rainy parking lot with my bag thrown over my shoulder, when suddenly somebody ambushed me from my left and pushed me against the wall of the gymnasium.

"We will grant your release if you fulfill our wish." Rick and Mick said in unison and stared at me with hopeful eyes.

"Hey! Let me go!" I complained, hoping that they would release me soon so the rain wouldn't make me even wetter.

"No-uh, you have to agree before we release you." Rick (I think) said, and grinned evilly. I sighed in defeat and cussed in my head.

"Fine, I agree to fulfill your stupid wish, now let me go!" I said, knowing I would regret this in the future. They both smiled, and then released me.

"That's a good girl." Mick said and patted my shoulder. I started to walk over to Alice's car, and asked them on the way there.

"So, what is this wish you want me to fulfill??" I asked with a sigh and looked at them. They smiled and placed their arms around my shoulders and then answered at the same time.

"We want you to come to our house for dinner." Their wish didn't make any sense in my ears, and waited for the 'haha, I was joking'. But when it didn't come I realized they were serious, and I frowned in confusion.

"Why?" I asked them, and began to look for the car key in my bag, since we we're standing by the cars.

"So we can get to know you better, silly." Rick joked, and then let go of me.

"Well…alright." I agreed, not seeing why this was a bad idea. I mean, it was just dinner at their place; how bad could it be??

"Terrific! Come here, I'll drive you." Mick said, and started to walk away to his car, and away from Alice's.

"Hey, wait a minute! What about my car??" I asked, and Rick sighed.

"Here, give me the keys and I'll drive It." he said, and I frowned at his strange demand.

"No, I won't give you my car keys." I said and clenched my fist with the key in.

"Oh, come on! It's not like I'll snatch it! Besides, you don't know the way." He said, and I groaned.

"Fine, but then if you make as much as a scratch on it, you're dead." I told him seriously and gave him the key. _Alice would kill us both is anything happened to that car…_

I made my way the yellow Porsche, which had a lot of spectators around it. I squeezed my way to the passenger seat, and got in. Rick did the same, and began to drive. Slowly behind us was a small black car, and behind the wheel was Mick. He waved to us, and I chuckled. Rick turned on some music, and I leaned backwards in the comfortable car seat.

"So, what's you and Smith's deal?? You didn't answer us before."Rick asked suddenly, and my previous relaxed body became tense. I swallowed quietly before answering, and hoped he couldn't hear the lie.

"Nothing. He's just strange. Didn't you notice??" I asked, and then laughed; a nervous and shaky sound that sounded anything but happy.

"Yeah…" he trailed off, obviously not believing me.

I decided to let the subject drop, and began to listen to the music instead. The car ride stayed quiet and awkward, until Rick spoke.

"We're here." He told me, and stopped the car. Behind us Mick stopped his car as well, and we all stepped outside into the drizzling rain. And then I saw the house.

"Oh my god…"

**Kiss And Tell – You Me At Six**

**A/N: DUN DUN DA!!!!!!!!! …****Nah, it's not that much of a cliffhanger, but it could be worse. **

**Sorry, but I have to get to bed now before my head explode -.- (I'm soooooo tired…) I hope you like it and that you'll review! //RF**


	11. A not so normal visit

**A/N: …I know, I'm horrible person. Please forgive me, I became sick and then I fell behind in school and had to catch up, I hope you understand. But now it's here, chapter 11. Read and enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I'm just a bastard who didn't update; I own no such thing as twilight. **

**Chapter 11: A not so normal visit**

**BPOV**

I stared at the gigantic house with my jaw at the ground, and felt how thousands of thoughts and questions flew through my head.

"You like it?" Rick asked and grinned at my funny expression, and walked over to me to give me the car keys. I couldn't manage to response because my brain wasn't working quite properly. After a long moment of staring, I turned to Rick.

"This…is your house??" I asked in a very unsure voice and then turned back to stare at the rich-looking mansion in front of me, not believing my eyes. It was big, even bigger than Edward's house (and that's big) and modern looking and there were lots of large glass windows that showed the luxurious inside. I hadn't noticed it before when we we're driving, but the street was empty of houses; the only house there was theirs, which was in the end of the street. And when you looked at it, you really felt small and poor. It had at least 4 floors, and beside the mansion, there was a large garage. The house was surrounded by trees, and I could bet that they had a large backyard too.

"Of course it is, what did you think??" Rick said as he grinned at my expression, and then flung me the keys. I caught them awkwardly, almost dropping them to the wet ground. Mick laughed at that, and then came and patted me on the back.

"Well, if I had to guess, I would say that we just drove to Bill Gates summer house." I murmured as I continued to stare. They laughed at me, and then began to lead me to the house. When we we're at the house's door, a sudden crash from inside the house was heard, and lots of yelling. I froze in my steps and looked at the two brothers for an explanation. They sighed and looked at each other.

"I guess mom came home from her business trip early…" Mick said in a sigh, and then a female voice was heard from the house, coming closer to the door.

"_Salaud! Combien de fois ai à vous dire?!" _The female voice inside yelled and then suddenly the door opened and a beautiful woman appeared in the doorway. She had waist long hair, black as the twins, and her eyes we're piercing blue. She looked like she was in her mid-thirties, and when I looked at her face, I was reminded of Rosalie's astonishing beauty. She was as beautiful and skinny as a supermodel, and the clothes she wore looked as expensive as the house. When she saw the three of us, she stopped yelling and stared at us.

"Mom, we have a guest, try to behave yourself." Rick told the woman in the threshold, who apparently was his mother, in a sarcastically scowling tone. She turned her eyes to me, and she smiled a warm smile, acting like the fight she was having before hadn't existed.

"Oh, I beg your pardon." She apologized with a heavy French accent and smiled at me with that perfect smile of hers, and then turned to her son. "_Impudent jeune!_ Why don't you introduce me to your friend here?? Haven't I thought you boys any manners?" she scowled at her sons, irritation showing in her godlike face.

"Sorry mom." Mick grinned and I was sure that Rick was grinning too. "Mom, this is Bella. Bella, this is our mother, Juliette." Juliette stretched out her hand, and shook mine gently. "You can call me Julie. It's a pleasure to meet you. Please, please, come in!" She gushed, and almost dragged me through the door. The twins chuckled quietly behind me as they closed the door, and I looked around in the large hall.

"_Léonard, descendre, nous avons un invité !" _She called up the stairs, and then turned to me

Footsteps were heard from the stairs, and suddenly a man came down it. His brown hair was incredibly messy; it looked like he just had woken up or something, and he had a worn out expression on his face. He was wearing casual clothes, which actually surprised me quite a lot. His dark brown eyes stared at me through his glasses, and he ran a hand through his hair.

"Léonard, this is Bella, Rick and Mick's classmate. Bella, this is my husband Léonard." Julie said and Léonard stretched out a hand. I shook it, and he gave me a strained smile. When I looked at him, I felt pity. It looked like he had been working all night with no sleep.

"_Bonjour mademoiselle. _Welcome to our house. It's a delight for us to have you here." He said in his dark voice with as much French accent as his wife. His dark, tired eyes lingered on me, and he gave me an apologetic smile.

"I'm so sorry, but I have to go back to my office. It was a honor meeting you." He nodded his head in a goodbye and then turned back to the stairs. As he walked up he removed his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose, something Edward also did occasionally when he was stressed. Julie smiled a warm smile at me and then clapped her hands together.

"Well then, let's give you a tour of the house. Boys?" she said, and her sons came to my sides.

"Sure, sure." Rick replied with a hint of mockery in his voice, and snickered at his mother. She rolled her eyes at her son and then began to walk into the left. When I entered the room, I couldn't help but to stare dumbfounded, chin at the floor. I heard laughter around me, the others enjoying my shock. The room was large, _very_ large and contained several large bookcases standing against the walls, filled with hundreds and hundreds of books. It had a few white sofas standing in the middle of the room in a half circle with a low table in front of them. The room was very bright because of the many windows in it, and the blue carpet on the floor looked very expensive.

"You like it? We just got the carpet imported from India." Julie gushed and looked adoringly at the floor, and sighed happily. Then she looked up and spoke in a serious tone to her sons. "_Ne venez pas dans sa cuisine, je dois jeter le vase brisé à la poubelle_." She said and then walked out of the room. I stared after her in wonder, and quietly in a whisper asked them what she had said. They started to chuckle and began to walk into the center of the room, dragging me with them.

"She told us not to go into the kitchen." They both said at the same time and walked over to one of the gigantic bookcases and began to scan through the books, looking for a particular one.

"And…why is that?" I cautiously asked, not sure if it was my business to know. They laughed again, and Mick answered my question as Rick continued their search.

"She smashed a vase and had to clean it up." He replied like it was a normal thing, and walked over to one of the sofas and sat down. "She always breaks stuff when they fight…which they do _a lot_."

I nodded, not sure what I was supposed to say, and looked around the room. It there were so many books… for one second, I wished I could live in a place like this, to have the opportunity to have such a large library. But the idea was also nauseating in one way. What if I had this much money?? Would I really waste everything on myself because I wanted a large and pretty library?? No, that would be selfish and stupid.

"Here it is!"Rick shouted and I turned to him, forgetting my recent thoughts. In his hand he held a very old book, and he grinned slyly at me as he put it in my hands.

"Do you know what this is??" he asked and began to push me towards the sofas and Mick. I stared at him, wondering if he thought I was an idiot, and answered him.

"A book??" I replied, but it sounded more like a question than an answer. Both of the brothers laughed, and as Rick and I sat down, he asked me again.

"I'm glad you know that too. But do you know _what_ book it is?" he asked, and there was something behind the question, hidden behind the mocking; bragging. There was something really special about this book…

"No, I don't…but I begin to think that you two will tell me."

"Brother, this one is smart, isn't she??" Mick joked and snickered. His brother laughed and nodded.

"She sure is. Well, it's Frankenstein by Mary Shelley." He said, and his answer surprised me. Frankenstein?? Really? I've read it, but I didn't see any reason why just that particular book was so special.

"Oh." Was all I said, and they chuckled at my cluelessness.

"Open the book, an you'll see what we mean." Mick said, and I obeyed his request. When I had opened it and read what it stood on the first page, all my movements froze, and I stared down at the page in shock.

"You have the _first_ edition of Frankenstein?!?" I practically yelled at them, and looked up from the old book into their grinning faces.

"Well, you can read, can't you? Yes, that is the first edition of Frankenstein." Rick told me smugly, and suddenly, I felt the urge to be as careful I possibly could. I turned to the next page, and the boys laughed at my carefulness. The pages felt very old under my fingers, which was understandable. I stared at it for a long time, reading the first lines.

"How did you even get this??" I asked after a few minutes of staring.

"Mom has a few contacts through work, and managed to get It." Mick answered simply, and rose from his seat. Rick and I stood as well, and when I started to give him the book, he shook his head.

"No, please take it, it's yours." He insisted and smiled. I stared at him for a long time, waiting for him to say 'kidding!' or 'Got 'ya!' but it never came.

"Wha- are you serious?" I asked, frowning deeply. Both of them nodded, snickering at my reaction.

"Yes, we're serious. It's yours; take It." they said in unison and I stared down at the book again.

"I…I don't know what to say…"I murmured quietly, shock still lingering inside me. Rick scoffed.

"Well, a 'thank you' wouldn't be too bad." He said with irony in his voice. I looked up at both of them, and smiled brightly.

"Thank you a million times and more! This is so kind of you!" I gushed and hugged them both, carefully holding the book in my hand. They patted my back and laughed, finding me hilarious, and let me go.

"Well, we have the rest of the house to show. Shall we??" Rick said and started to walk out of the gigantic library. Actually, I wouldn't have minded staying in their cozy library forever and ever through eternity, but I agreed and followed them through the door to see the rest of their house.

***Later***

Well, everything with this house seemed to have one theme; big and expensive. Every room was enormous and had lots of pricy things in them. They had 4 floors and a wine cellar. Their backyard had a pool, which I thought was very strange since it never got hot in the summer here, and a large garden with lots of flowers in it.

"Here we are. They said as we reached the last door at the top floor in the house. They opened the door and I looked around. It was, as the rest of the house, very spacey, and had lots of large windows, showing the backyard. There were two beds in each corner, and a bookcase with some books and comic books. On the wall there was a large TV, and beneath it on a TV furniture, a TV console was standing, and in front of the TV was a large, black leather couch. The walls were white and the furniture were black, and everything was (like the rest of the house) pricey and modern looking.

"Welcome to our divine room. Nice, isn't it?" Mick said in a chuckle and sat down on one of the beds, which seemed to be his own. I walked over to the bookcase to see what books they had there, thinking it was odd that they kept books in their room too, when they had such a large library downstairs. Suddenly, as I scanned through the titles of all their books, I saw one that caught my eye.

"Shakespeare?? He's one of my favorites!" I said happily, and began to reach for it in the shelf. But suddenly, I felt a hand on my arm that ripped mine away from the bookcase and then stared Rick in the eyes.

"Don't look in that." He said, and his voice was dark and almost scary.

"Why not?" I asked, wondering what he was hiding. But in one way, I also _didn't_ want to know. He sighed, and began to drag me away from the shelf.

"Trust me, you_ don't_ want to see what's hiding there…" he said in a menacing tone, and then pulled me over to the couch where we sat down.

"So…" I began. "You have a lovely home." I told them truthfully and looked into Ricks eyes. That's when I saw it. Saw something I hadn't seen before.

"Well-"He began, but I hushed him.

"Hold still." I ordered him and moved closed, staring into his eyes. He frowned, looking utterly uncomfortable, but did as I commanded. I grabbed his face and moved close to him so I could see every detail of his eyes, and stared.

"Eh…Bella, what are you doing?" Mick, who had walked over to us, asked me. I broke mine and Rick's intensive gaze, and stared at Mick.

"Come closer." I told him, staring at him, seeing it now and only wanted to confirm it to be true. He bent down, and I grabbed his face too and stared into his eyes too. There it was, I could see it clearly now. I let go of his face and smiled to myself at my happy discovery.

"…What's so funny??" They both asked in unison, and I gave out a giggle. I didn't know why I was so happy about this wonderful breakthrough, but I just couldn't help myself.

"I can tell the difference between you two." I stated happily and I saw how they raised their eyebrows at me.

"Really?" Rick asked, not believing me.

"Yes." I said, as I stared into his eyes, the source of the discovery. Rick's eyes were a slightly darker shade than Mick's eyes. I can't believe I hadn't seen this before.

"Prove it." Mick said and crossed his arms in front of him. I sighed.

"Fine. I'll turn around, and when I turn back, I'll point out who's who." I said, and they seemed to think that my plan was reasonable.

"Okay, deal." They both said and stood up. I closed my eyes, and heard some movement in front of me. It didn't take long before I could open them.

"Now prove it; who's Mick and who's Rick??" Rick asked, who stood to the right of Mick, and I smiled.

"Very well. Rick's on the right and Mick's on the left. Happy??" I asked, and I saw how they dropped their jaws in surprise.

"You…you were right…"Mick said slowly and stared at me in surprise.

"How is that possible?? No one had ever been able to do that…" Rick murmured.

"No one except grandma." Mick finished.

"Well, you have a different eye color. Rick's eyes are a slightly shade darker." I explained and the two brothers looked at each other.

"Wow…that you even noticed it in the first place." Mick said and stared at me in wonder.

"Well, now we know Mick; Bambi got skills." Rick said and grinned. I stood up from the sofa and walked over to the wall where there was a picture hanging. On the picture there were 3 people: Rick, Mick, and a third adult person who I didn't know who it was. He was very pale, very much like me, and had long, jet black hair. His eyes were dark and he was smiling.

"Who's this?" I asked, and pointed at the picture. It was somewhere hot, and the three of them were posing like idiots in front of an old building. They laughed when they saw what I was referring to.

"Oh, that guy. He's our mom's boss, and that's when we visited him this summer. He's very funny, but a little strange in a way." Mick told me and watched the picture thoughtfully. He smiled to himself, and I guess he was thinking of good memories. Suddenly, a subdued crash was heard from downstairs, and we heard how Julie yelled.

"Ah, mom's started dinner. How nice…" Rick said sarcastically, and shook his head for himself.

"May I ask a question??" I asked, coming to think of it as I heard Julie yell in French downstairs.

"Sure, what is it?" Mick asked and sat down in his bed again.

"Well, your parents speak French all the time, how come you don't have such strong accent as them??" I asked, curious of this phenomenon. Rick and Mick had perfect American accent, when both their parents had a strong French accent.

"Well, we we're born in America, and we've lived here all our life. We've visited our grandparents in France of course, but we've never lived there for a longer time of period. And also, both of our parents we're determined that we we're going to speak perfect American. They hate that they can't speak better American themselves, well at least mom does that, since she got an American mother herself." He explained.

"But we can speak French too, of course." Rick said, speaking with a heavy French accent, which made me laugh.

"_Oui, oui, oui__, c'est très facile de parler français."_ Mick spoke, which I of course didn't understand at all. I smiled at them, and then suddenly, a phone started to ring. Rick walked over to the phone and answered.

"Oh, hi mom. Alright, we'll be right down." He said and hung up. He turned to me and Rick and spoke in a monotone.

"Time for dinner." He said simply and he opened the door, gesturing for us to follow him out. We walked down the stairs, the boys talking lively to each other, and me just listening. But when we almost we're downstairs, I did something I do all the time: I tripped. I lost secure foothold and began to fall. But fortunately, both of the brothers caught me before I could hit the ground, and helped me up.

"Bambi, you have to be more careful, one day you'll fall and we won't be able to catch you." The joked as we walked the last steps down.

"You didn't catch me when I fell in the parking lot the first time we met, whoever of you it was." I corrected them.

"Well, we _could've_ caught you that time…but the entertainment of seeing you fall was too great." Mick snickered, and I punched him on his arm.

"Yeah, besides, it was two steps; you didn't get severe hurt exactly." Rick filled in, and I sighed, rolling my eyes at the two of them. Walked into the dining room, which I had visited before when they gave me a tour of the house. The table was beautifully laid and lots of candles were lit in the room. But the strange thing was that there was no food in the room.

"What are we eating?" I asked, looking at the two brothers for an answer. Their reply made my ice freeze and my heart skipped a beat.

"You." They answered in unison and stared hungrily at me.

**A/N: OH. MY. GOD. This was one hell of a cliffhanger… and I will tell you nothing :P  
Please review and tell me what you think of Rick and Mick and their strange parents, I love feedback ;) //RF**


	12. Rumors and secrets

**A/N: Hello my dear friends. Since I felt so horrible leaving you there with that cliffhanger, I made this chapter extra long, just for you :P I hope you enjoy it!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, I only own Smith, Liz, Mia, Rick & Mick.  
Rick & Mick: Hey, you don't own us, we're individual people!  
RF: …no, I created you with my own imagination.  
Rick & Mick: *glares hungrily at RF* You **_**want**_** to get eaten too?  
*RF runs away***

**Chapter 12: Rumors and secrets**

**BPOV**

I stared in fear as the two boys moved closer to me. What was going on? Were they vampires?? But that couldn't be, their eyes we're blue! Vampires don't have blue eyes, do they??

_Maybe they're wearing something called contacts._ My mind reminded me, but it wasn't exactly reassuring me to stay calm (which I wanted), more the other way around.

They smiled at me; a frightful smile of smugness and delight. I backed away slowly from them slowly, not being able to move faster with my frozen limbs. I was going to die, that was the only thing that was sure. I was going to die in a million dollar worth house with a gigantic library. This wasn't good, not good at all. What about Charlie? And Renée? This would surely kill them. And Edward… just thinking about his face in a situation made my tense muscles relax (somewhat). But when I stared into the two brothers eyes, I figured that if they were going to kill me, it was definitely better than being killed by Smith. I know he's sworn several times that he would never do such a thing but just the thought of it, being killed in the arms by such a horrible creature made me shiver.

_Any second now…_ I thought and waited for them to strike. But suddenly, someone hit the brothers in the back of their head, speaking swiftly in a hushed but irritated tone.

"_Oh mon dieu, qu'est-ce que vous faites tous les deux?!?"_Julie hissed at her two sons and then grabbed them by their ears, which made them complain in pain. "Go into the kitchen and help Sarah bring out the food." She scowled them in an angry tone, and then let them go. I just stared in confusion and shock after them, and then looked at the beautiful woman in front of me that was smiling reassuringly at me.

"Please excuse my sons for their rude behavior; they have an odd sense of humor these two." She smiled at me, just like the (what I thought) death threat two seconds ago didn't happen. Then she glared at something behind me. "They must've taken after their father." She hissed and glared at her exhausted husband, who had been sitting in his office the whole day. He walked over to me and gave me another strained smile of his.

"How nice of you to stay over dinner." That was all he said. He went and sat down at the table and rubbed his temples slowly with his eyes closed. Then the two sons returned into the room with a third person who must've been Sarah, who was dressed in some kind of maid uniform. The twins glared at their mother and then put down the large plate with some sort of meat on the table.

"There, anything else you wanted _dear mother_??" They asked in the same time in an irritated tone. Apparently they didn't like when someone ruined their fun.

"No, that's all." Julie answered with a blissful smile, and then turned to me. "Please, please sit down." She gestured towards the table and showed me to a seat in the middle between the brothers.

"_Bon appétit."_ Julie told us and smiled at me. The brothers just glared and Léonard didn't respond. This seemed to make her very irritable, but since I was there, she hid it under a polite façade.

"Léonard, would you _please_ pass the salad to me?" she asked him in a courteous voice, all her anger well heard beneath it. Léonard just sighed, seeming to be used to it, and passed her the salad just as she asked. The two brothers sighed and both reached out for the big plate with the meat and held it before me.

"Bella, would you like some roasted Bambi?" Rick asked, being a little down since his mother ruined their joke. That's when I understood. Ah, they were serving _deer_. And since they called me Bambi before, they thought it was fitting to make a joke when it sounded like they were eating _me_. Oh, now I just felt stupid. A normal person wouldn't get frightened; he would just laugh and then ask again. But on the other hand, we all know I'm not precisely normal so…

"Eh, sure…" I took one of the perfect cooked beefs and thanked them for bringing the plate to me.

"So, how's school doing?" Julie asked conversationally and took some potato to her plate. The twins suddenly forget about their bad mood, and chuckled quietly in unison. Julie frowned at their strange behavior and took a clunk of her red, expensive wine.

"What's so funny??"It was very noticeable that her patience was short, and the glare that she gave them one short, icy glare. They started to chuckle again, but began to talk.

"Well, what can we say?" Rick said with a grin, winking to his brother.

"Bella's school is just _fascinating_."Mick continued, snickering even more.

"Especially the _teachers_." They then both said, staring at me as they said _teachers_. I froze my movements as I cut the beef, and stared at them I terror. Would they tell them? No, they possibly couldn't, that's not reasonable. Would they really tell their parents about me and Smith? Not that there _is_ something between us, but I wouldn't like people to get the idea either.

"Really?" Julie raised an eyebrow at us, wondering what they meant by that.

"Yes. There was one in particular that we liked the most. What was his name again? Oh right, _Smith_." Rick said, and both of them looked at me. The slyness in their eyes was not possible to miss, like two kids who knew they'd done something stupid and poorly hid it from the rest of the world.

"In what subject did he teach??" Julie continued her questioning. The funny thing was that she actually cared of what they told her. She nodded as they began to explain him in detail, how he acted and how he looked. But I guess she just was dedicated to her kids. Léonard stayed quiet through the whole dinner, not saying a single word. I met his glance once as I stared at him, and he smiled that smile again; strained and not quite happy. And then there was me, sitting quietly like Léonard, answering questions they asked and smiled at the stories they told. I didn't know what to think of them. All four was really nice and polite, but there was something strange with them that I couldn't put my finger on.

***The next day***

We ate the rest of the dinner happily, and afterwards, I drove home. Taking my bag with the old Frankenstein book, I sat down in Alice's car and drove back to Forks. The drive wasn't that long, but I was nervous the whole time. Mostly for Alice's car, but also about Smith. He had surely already figured out that I'd made my small trip to the twins, and what I'm definitely sure about was that he was going to be mad. Breathing slowly through the drive made me stay calm, but the thought still lingered in my mind through the ride. When I reached home I was met by a happy Charlie. He had invited Billy over to watch the game, together with Jake. Apparently, Jake had asked about me through the whole game, asking when I was coming home. That was something Billy and Charlie found to be hilarious. But he hadn't stayed for long. After about 15 minutes, he left without a word. Charlie told me he had been a little bit angry when he left, but he just figured he was down that I wasn't there.

"Bells, you have guests!" Charlie called up the stairs, bringing me out of my thoughts of the previous day. I took my bag and ran downstairs, almost tripping at the end. But when I saw who was there, all I wanted was to run back up again, hide in my closet forever from the wrath that waited in our threshold.

Alice glared coldly when she saw me and stretched out her hand towards me, palm up.

"I want my keys to the car." She said curtly in her monotone voice, and a shiver went down my spine because of her unkindness. This wasn't my usual Alice, something had happened. What had I done to upset her?

"Are you okay, Alice?" Charlie asked, putting a hand on her shoulder. She turned to him, and her face changed from the queen of fury herself to a more polite, kind one. But she was still mad.

"Yes, I'm fine. I just found out some disturbing knowledge this morning." She said, shooting me a glare. Charlie was still worried, but asked no more questions, figuring it was 'girl stuff'. I dug through my bag until I found the keys and dropped them into her palm. She rapidly put them in her pocket, not showing any emotion on her godlike face, and then looked at me.

"Edward is waiting outside." That was all she said. Then she left through the door, saying goodbye to Charlie before the door closed. Charlie scratched his head in the back, staring at the door where she'd left, and then sighed.

"Did something happen between you two?" He frowned at me disapprovingly when I shrugged.

"Honestly dad, I have no idea. Sorry, but I have to go. I'll be home for dinner." I spoke hastily, and then speed out the door before he could say anything else, grabbing my jacket from its hook in the progress. Just as Alice had said, Edward's car stood in the road, glistening in its glory. Alice car was nowhere to be seen. She must've driven off the moment she got the opportunity. I wonder what I had done that had made her so mad…

I opened the door to the car and jumped inside, greeting him politely. Quietly, almost a whisper, he greeted me back. He looked tired, like he hadn't slept through the night properly. He started the engine and drove off in the foggy morning.

"Are you alright? Alice just dragged you off the parking lot yesterday without an explanation." I asked, trying to see the answer in his eyes before he answered, in case he would lie. But as I expected, he hid it from me, and gave me an apologetic smile. But it didn't reach his eyes, and you could see that something was bothering him.

"Yes, I'm fine. I'm just a little tired. We drove over to Seattle to…" he trailed off, thinking how he was going to explain the next part.

"To…?" I promoted, wanting him to finish his sentence. He sighed, and you could see that he thought this was difficult. I sighed myself, and leaned back in my seat.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, Edward. It's okay. I'm just worried about you." I truthfully said and looked at the window pane where the small raindrops ran downwards, one by one. Edward groaned in frustration, and I immediately turned to him.

"What's wrong??" I asked in a panicked voice. He ran a hand through his hair as he thoughtfully thought out his next words.

"Bella, it's not that I don't want to tell you, but…but I'm afraid you'll think of me as a freak." He said, tilting his head slightly down, not looking into my direction.

"Edward, you know I would never do such a thing. I already know you're a mind reader, and I took that well, didn't I? Besides, we both know I'm the freak between the two of us." I said and chuckled, but he didn't join me.

"Bella, stop it. You know that's not true." He said with a glare.

_That's what __you__ think…_ I thought for myself, but didn't say it aloud, that would only make things worse.

"Well, can't you just tell me what you did then?" I begged.

He sighed, but gave in and took a deep breath before he said it. "I was…training, training to read minds. Alice and I wandered the streets of Seattle and I trained to read minds. It was very straining, so I was tired when I got home." He explained, looking me in the eye as he talked. I stared at him, waiting for him to continue and tell the thing that he didn't want to tell before. When I then realized that was it, I raised an eyebrow at him and spoke in a skeptic tone.

"That's it? You didn't want to tell me you went training to read minds??" I asked, and then laughed. "Edward, you shouldn't have kept that for me. Not something as simple as that." He scoffed at my reaction, but then suddenly, he was down again. His behavior was kind of strange…just like Alice's

"Hey, are you sure something didn't happen? Alice was acting very strange when she came and got her keys." I asked him, remembering what had happened this morning. This was apparently the wrong question to ask, because even if he tried to hide it, he noticeably became a little bit more down, or maybe he was irritated?

"I'm sure she'll tell you." He didn't say anything more, and the mood in the car became even worse than before. What was it with everyone this morning? Edward then sudden chuckled without humor, and gave me my favorite, crooked smile, that still didn't reach his eyes.

"Alice had worked herself up since you met, and will attack you the second you walk out of the car. You won't be able to escape." He warned me as he drove into the parking lot that lingered with students. I looked around for her, but I couldn't see her anywhere.

"Then can't I just stay in your car forever??" I asked helplessly, knowing I was screwed. Whatever I had done to Alice, she was pissed. _Very_ pissed, and I wasn't getting away. Edward chuckled at my strange suggestion, and parked his car in his usual spot.

"Tempting, but no. Then she would kill _me_, and as strange as it might sound, I value my life." He said and cut off the engine. Then he turned to me, and some of the irritation was gone, and sympathy had taken its place.

"Are you ready?"

I scoffed. "How can I prepare myself for my death? I'm too young to die!" I complained and he chuckled again.

"I take that as a yes." He opened his door and stepped out into the cloudy, rainy day. I took a deep breath, knowing Alice would ambush me even before I had a chance to get inside the school, and followed his example. Outside, there were lots of students, standing in the rain by their cars, talking with each other in hushed voices. As soon as they saw me, some of them pointed, not thinking I saw it, and the whispers escalated. Okay…something was off about this morning…very off.

I began to walk towards the school building as fast as I could, Edward following me silently. But just as I had walked up the small stair, I felt a small hand grabbing my left arm and it began to drag me in a not so gentle manner. I began to protest loudly as she began to haul me behind the school building, away from the rest of the crowd, but she snappily shushed me quiet and continued to pull me further and further away from the parking lot. Suddenly, she abruptly stopped and pushed me against the wall.

"Ouch!" I complained as my head hit the wall, but she just glared at me. I quieted down, and from the corner of my eye I saw Edward shooting daggers at her intensely. I'm sure she knew, but she ignored him.

"A little birdie told me something _very_ interesting this morning." She began after a moment of glaring in a curt tone. I just stared at her, knowing I would only get hushed some more if I tried to say something.

She continued without expecting an answer. "You see, there are some rumors that have been going around since last night." She stared at me intensely.

"…what kind of rumors?" I asked slowly, not understanding what this had to do with me, and why she was so upset with it.

"Rumors involving you and those twin brothers." The second I heard 'you' and 'twin brothers', I stared at her in shock and felt how the blood in my face drained away.

"What? What did you hear?" I said, knowing that the anger in my voice was quite audible.

"Well… They're quite many, but most of them are about you 3…being … _intimate_ with each other." I stared at her, wide eyed as she glared back and me, and felt how the blood in my cheeks returned with a blush; a blush of rage and frustration.

"What?! That's mad!!" I yelled, feeling how the anger burned inside me.

"See, I told you it wasn't real." Edward told her, his voice full with pride, irritation and some relief buried deep down that wasn't meant to be heard. I turned to him and frowned deeply.

"Wait, you already knew this?!" I accused him and stared at him for answers. His eyes widened in shock and then shot a glare in Alice's direction.

**EPOV**

How could she believe such a horrible thing! I didn't believe everything that Alice had told me this morning, only that Bella and the brothers had spent some time together. But how could you not have some doubt planted into your brain when your sister burst into your bedroom 6 o'clock in the morning and begins to rant about such a thing?

_**This morning *Swoosh***_

_A sudden sound of a door bursting open woke me up in surprise, and I stared at the fully dressed, and slightly irritated, confused and frightened Alice._

"_What is it?" I asked groggily and rubbed my eyes slowly. Her mind was "Speaking" too swiftly for me to understand this early in the morning, so I concentrated on her voice instead._

"_I woke up having a bad feeling." She told me simply in her tiny voice, like it would explain everything._

"…_And?" I promoted, wondering what her point was._

"_You are such an idiot"__ she thought, and then began her ranting in her head again. I ignored her, and hoped that she would explain for me with her voice._

"_And__, that means that something bad is going to happen today. I can sense it. Something that will ruin my plans…" she trailed of, thinking of __all__ of her plans, and wondering about which one of them that was going to be destroyed. Then, she had a vision of someone calling her, a friend from school, and she took out her phone from her pocket and dialed the number._

"_Hi," She began in an apologetic tone. "Sorry to call you this early, Lucy." She was beginning to say something, when she stopped, and listened._

"_Oh really? I had a feeling you wanted to tell me something, that's why I called." I wouldn't call her psychic future telling 'feelings', but…_

_She listened intensely as the other person on the line excitedly told her what she knew, and Alice's eyes narrowed of irritation. I ignored Alice's screaming mind (which I had gotten quite good at, thanks to yesterdays training), and lay back in my bed, trying to fall asleep again. The minutes went by, and I was almost down under when she told her friend goodbye, and snapped her phone shut. _

"_I can't believe this!" she yelled in anger, and flung herself onto my bed, looking at the ceiling. I rolled over so my back was turned to her, and tried to get as relaxed as I had been a few minutes before, but it was a lost attempt._

"_Hello? Are you even listening?!" she punched me in the back to see my reaction, and I grunted in irritation._

"_No, leave me alone." I groaned and put my pillow over my head to muffle her piercing voice. Unfortunately, she knew I would do this, and took it from me before I could get a decent grip on it. _

"_Stop being so impossible! I've been trying to tell you; it's about Bella." She told me, and the second I heard Bella's name, I opened my eyes and turned around to hear her out. In her mind she was amused by how fast I would listen if it was about Bella. But in reality, her face wasn't smiling. It was anything but amused._

"_Everything is those twins fault…" she said darkly, and thought about them with hate. In her mind there was two boys our age, and they had coal black hair and crystal blue eyes. Together with them, Bella stood, and she smiled at them with …well with love._

"_What is it??" I asked her, worried now. What was the news she had found out??_

_She took a deep breath, and then told me everything._

_***1 hour later***_

"_I mean, come on! Who does these…these lowlifes think they are! It's-"Alice babbled on again. After finding out what she had to say, I got back to bed, and continued to ignore her. I told her that Bella would never do such things as that, which I knew was true. But even though…_

"_Alice, Edward, time to get up and get ready for school!" Esme called from downstairs. Alice stood up and sighed angrily._

"_Picking her up this morning should be fun."She said sarcastically and left my room._

_**End of flashback *Swoosh***_

"Bella I didn't believe it, not one second. But please! What would you think if you heard a rumor that I followed Jessica home after school one day and slept with her?" I asked her, saying the last thing with disgust in my voice.

"That's not the same thing…" She mumbled, looking down at her feet, a slight blush increasing in her face.

"But it is. It _is_ the same thing!" I exclaimed and then sighed. I walked over to her and hugged her to my chest, stroking her hair softly.

**BPOV**

I breathed in his scent as I stood in his arms, wanting the moment to last forever. But of course, it didn't. He let me go, and he smiled at me. In that moment I knew I was forgiven. Forgiven by _him_, that is.

"Sorry for making you worry, but I swear, nothing happened!" I re-assured him and felt some anger blooming inside me. Someone had started this rumor, and I had a good idea who (or, in this case, whom). I heard how Alice scoffed, and I turned to her.

"Worry? _Worry_?? Damn right I was worried?! You had no idea! And angry! What if the rumors were true!?! You would've ruined all my plans for…for those bastards!!!" She exclaimed angrily and glared at me. Edward sighed and patted his sister on her shoulder.

"Well, the important thing is that she didn't. Will you please let this go and forgive her?" he pleaded on my behalf, which I was very grateful for.

"I'm sorry Bella." She said apologetically and smiled at me. I thought it was nice of her, knowing that it could've been worse, but Edward glared at her.

"You're not letting this go, are you?" he asked through his teeth.

"Nope" she grinned at him, popping on the 'p'. Then suddenly, her face darkened. "Not until I get my hands on those bastards who made up this bullshi-"

"Okay, time to go. Say bye bye to the scary lady."Edward interrupted and began to drag me away from her. I protested loudly, not liking that everyone dragged me wherever they wanted me to go. Alice snorted at him, and easily skipped over to us, keeping our phase perfectly.

"You can't get rid of me that easily." She teased him as we walked back to the parking lot, and I noticed that a lot of people still stared at me. At least I knew why now. Alice suddenly parted from us, and told us to meet her later. I stared after her as she joined her friends, and chuckled quietly when I saw how she chatted on excitedly with them. Her face was remotely calm, but I could see what was hidden behind it; that greedy look, wanting as much information as possible.

"Shall we go?" Edward asked, taking my hand. I nodded in response, and we began to walk towards the school building. Once inside, we walked towards our lockers, but before we even made it that far, we heard loud voices escalating from the corridor on the right. Being curios, I abandoned my path to the locker, and turned right to see what was going on. Edward followed me without questioning, and as we got closer, I saw the small group of girls standing all together in a group, excitedly talking to the two brothers in the middle.

"Is the rumors true about you two and that _Isabella Swan_??" Someone said, hissing my name. The rest of the girls agreed, and waited impatiently for their answer.

"Well…" They both began, and looked at each other with their sly grins.

"A lot happened last night," Rick began with a seductive grin.

" And I wouldn't like to go into detail, since they're quite nasty, but-"That was all Mick managed to say, because I had grabbed them both by the ear, just as their mother had last night, and dragged them away from the group as quickly as possible. They complained in pain, but I ignored them. Anger boiled inside me, and when I thought we had reached a good place to yell at them, I let them go. They both grabbed their ear I had held, and glared at me.

"Why did you do that for?!" Rick asked accusingly. I glared back at them began my rant, not caring if the whole world listened.

"You were the ones who spread the rumors about us three!" I yelled at them angrily.

"We don't know what you're talking about." They lied badly and I rolled my eyes at them.

"Don't give me that. I _know_ it was you, I heard you back there. Why would you do that?! Why would you spread rumors around that I was sleeping with you!?" I asked them, and they shook their heads.

"You've gotten it all wrong." Rick said and smiled at me.

"We didn't start them; it was that Jessica chick. She saw you when you followed us home and decided to make it today's big topic, with some lies of course." I stared skeptically at him with one raised eyebrow. "Okay, _a lot_ of lies." Mick admitted. I frowned at them.

"Then why would you confirm the lies, telling everyone it was true??"

"Well, we never actually said they were true, we just fooled everyone so they would think they were."

"And why did you do that?" I asked, already knowing the answer, but I had to ask anyway.

"Because it's fun." They said in unison, snickering. I sighed heavily and looked at the two brothers.

"You two are impossible." I groaned and began to turn around when they stopped me.

"Wait. We're sorry about the lies, really." Rick said and looked me straight in the eyes.

"We promise to make it up for you." Mick agreed in the same, apologetic tone.

"Like what?" I asked suspiciously, not knowing if I would ever be able to trust these two ever again. They smiled secretly at me and then turned around and began to walk away.

"You'll see." They both said in a teasing tone, and then disappeared around the corner. I stared after them in shock and wonder, and then turned around to see the unusually quiet Edward.

"Well, I'm glad that's over." I said truthfully, even though I wasn't completely sure it was, and walked over to him. He took my hand, and we began to walk back to our lockers.

"So…why did you spend your afternoon with them again?" Edward asked, and I laughed, even though it wasn't funny.

"Well, they claimed they wanted to get to know me better, so they invited me over for dinner." I told him, skipping the part when they pushed me against the wall and demanded that I would grant their wish. He raised one eyebrow at me skeptically, but let it go. We opened our lockers and took our books.

"You have Smith now, right?" he asked, and I froze in my movements. Smith…He would've heard of the rumors already. I was a dead woman, that's for sure…

"Yeah…" I forced myself to move again, and gave him a strained smile. He frowned at my strange behavior, but I interrupted him before he could say anything. "Well, I'll see you at lunch. Bye!" then I swiftly turned around and walked towards math. Edward's gaze burned in my back as I walked, but I couldn't dare to turn around and meet it. As I walked, the bell rang. Students began to fill the before empty corridors, and now (to my surprise and relief) no one was looking at me. I walked into the classroom and was met by a happy Rick.

"Hi there Bambi!" he greeted me and placed his arm around my shoulders as he walked with me to his seat. As the day before, he made me sit next to him.

"So, how did Edward react to the whole rumor thing? Did he get mad? Oh, please tell me he got mad!" Rick asked excitedly and stared at me with hopeful eyes.

"No! He knew I wouldn't do such thing, and you should too." I told him, and then turned around in my seat so I was looking forward. But that wasn't better. Up front stood Smith and boy was he pissed. It wasn't the worst outburst he has had, but it wasn't actually pretty either. I think that he was restraining himself not to shoot me ice cold glares and scream from the top of his lunges at me in front of the whole class. Instead of looking at him, I looked down at the book, and ignored the rest of the world. Smith wrote the pages for today on the blackboard, and then sat down at his desk. Everyone began to work immediately, but I could sense that both Rick and Smith were looking at me. I tried to concentrate as much as possible through the lesson, but I failed at that quite miserably.

When the bell rang I had only done 1 page of the 4 we were given. I sighed, thinking of the large pile of homework that I had to do when I got home.

"Class dismissed." Smith said icily, and everyone in the room hurried to get out of the classroom. Rick looked at me and smiled slyly.

"I bet he was angry, even though you won't admit It." he said, and then walked out of the room together with the rest of the class. I followed his example, but when I finally got to the threshold, Smith called me back.

"Miss Swan, please stay a minute." His voice was as quiet as it was dangerous. I considered about running as fast as I could, but I knew he would catch me if I did, and besides, it was better to have it done now.

"Sure." I replied through my gritted teeth and closed the door, since I was the last person there. I turned around to face him, and when I saw his face I knew he'd had a hard time before to restrain his anger. His eyes were dark as the night, and their piercing glare made me shiver in fright. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then turned and walked over to the window. I slowly walked over to his desk, and then stopped, waiting for his reaction.

"Was there anything you wanted? Otherwise I'll lea-"I began, but stopped when suddenly, he was standing in front of me, glaring at me with his coal black eyes. His lips had parted and he was doing some strange grimace, showing his teeth in a strange, scary…and very vampire-ish way. A small hiss was coming from his throat, and I gulped in fear.

"Do you have _any_ idea how worried I was when I heard the rumors this morning??"He hissed in a low and dangerous voice. I stared at him, too frightened to speak, and the only sound in the room was my rasping breaths and my racing heart. He glared at me silently, waiting for me to respond.

"I- I didn't mean to make you worry." I lied. I didn't care if he had been worried sick, it serves him right. "But they weren't true, none of the rumors. Wouldn't… Wouldn't you know that? You follow me everywhere, don't you?" I dared to ask, and immediately regretted it when I saw how his eyes flashed with anger.

"I would have, if that _mutt_ hadn't stopped me." He said in an angry tone and glared at me. The fright wore off a little due to the shock that came. Jake…had stopped Smith to come to the Lewis's house.

"Jake did?" I hesitantly asked, frowning in confusion. Shock appeared in Smith's face, and he stared at me with wide eyes.

"You…you didn't know." It wasn't a question, it was a statement. He looked away from me, and his shock became anger.

"That son of a bitch lied to me!" He yelled, and kicked his table, which made a large hole in it. I jumped as his foot impacted with the wood, and stared at him in fear. He saw my terror, and restrained his anger to explain to me.

"I was going to follow you, but when I ran through the woods, I "bumped into your little friend. He told me you had sent him there to stop me from coming anywhere you or the company you had. We had a little fight, and I gave up and ran home. But I never stopped thinking about you, about the things that could happen…" he trailed off bitterly, his anger back again.

"Which takes us back to the original topic: those _brats_ Rick and Mick." He hissed their name in disgust and glared at me. "Why did you even go there Bella!? Even though I warned you, you went there! Did you even know what could've happened? You could've been raped!! Or worse, killed! It's bad enough that you're around the Cullen kid!" Anger boiled inside me, flowing through my body and heating my frozen limbs so I could move them again as I heard him speak. But most importantly, the rage made the fear go away.

"Don't talk about my friends like that! Especially not Edward! It wasn't like we went to a bar and drank ourselves wasted. I went over to their house, met their parents and ate dinner. Nothing else! Don't you dare make accusations about me when you don't even know-"I yelled at him, letting the bomb of fury inside me explode.

"How dare you raise your voice against me?! I love you, and even though-"He responded, but whenever he threw out the "L" word, I become pissed.

"But I don't love you! Why can't understand that?! I will never love you!!!!" I screamed from the top of my lunges at him, which I quickly regretted. He started to growl; an animalistic and monstrous sound which was ear piercing. His lips parted, showing me his white and razor-sharp teeth, and he glared at me furiously. In a second, all of my rage disappeared, and terror filled its place. I stared at him in horror, and felt how my heart was racing in my chest. My eyes were wide open and were staring at the inhuman beast before me.

_I'm going to die, I'm going to die…_ I thought silently and closed my eyes, waiting for the pain. But there was none. But I heard something. Something else besides Smith's growling; the sound of 2 people applauding.

Smith stopped growling, and I opened my eyes. Both of us turned to look at the doorway, where to familiar persons stood. Both of them were…smiling? Why we're they smiling? Why aren't they crapping their pants like they should be??

"You…"Smith slowly said and glared at the two brothers.

"Yep." Rick said whilst grinning.

"It's us." Mick finished and then stopped clapping. Both of them stood in the doorway, leaning against the walls like they were relaxed spectators, applauding after a play.

"Nice performance there, we really liked it." Mick continued and smiled friendly at me.

"But that's no reason to cause a scene. You two are lucky that it was us, and not some other kid who heard you two screaming at each other." Rick told us, and I frowned at the two of them. Why were we lucky that it was them and not for example Angela? And why were they acting so calmly? They seemed okay with Smith growling like a monster and us yelling at the top of our lungs how we loved/hated each other. Why?

"But seriously Smith, you have to try to hide it a little better next time, it was obvious from day one." Rick said, almost like it was a joke, but his eyes told me it was serious. My frown deepened and I stared at the twins in wonder. What did they mean with that? Smith's love for me, or was it something else…?

"_What_ was so obvious, if I might ask?" Smith asked in a quiet and collected voice.

"You being a vampire of course." They both said together, and I stared at them as my eyes widened. They _knew_ he was a vampire!? But…how is that possible? They've only been in this school for like, what? 2 days? How the hell do they know he's a vampire?

"_What?" _Smith and I asked in unison. Rick and Mick chuckled, and then collected themselves so they could answer.

"Well, yeah. You have all the obvious signs of a vampire, and to be honest, you're not really trying to hide it."Rick said truthfully.

"And if you are, you're not very good at it."Mick agreed. "Oh, and by the way, you _have_ to tone down the obsession you have for Bella. First of all, it is _very _noticeably." he continued

"And second…It's gross."Rick finished, and both of them shuddered in disgust. "You do know that makes you a pedophile, right?" he added, and I couldn't have agreed more. But at the moment, only one question lingered in my head; how did they know that vampires existed?

"How do you even know about vampires?" I asked them, and they chuckled.

"I would ask you the same thing, but the answer is pretty obvious." Mick said and looked at Smith.

"For answering you question Bella, you know our mom, Julie?"

I nodded at them, and he continued. "Well, as we said, she works together with a company in Europe. This company is a group of people that has their quarters in Italy." Smith froze beside me, and I frowned in confusion at his strange behavior.

Mick continued. "Well you see, this group is, well kind of a _family_ of vampires. They make sure that all the other vampires follow the laws." This sounded so familiar, yet I don't remember where I've heard it. Smith gasped in surprise, and I turned my head to see his face. He was paler than usual, and his eyes were almost bulging out of their sockets.

"Your mom works…for the Volturi?" Smith asked in a low, frightened voice. Rick and Mick grinned evilly.

They looked at Smith with a meaning look, and then spoke. "Oh yes… And they will probably be very interested when they find out about _this_."

**A/N: Haha, I hoped you liked it, I really wanted to make it as long as possible ;)  
Please review and tell me what you thought. Love you guys! // RF**


	13. How’s that possible?

**A/N: A little late, I know (sorry!) But it's here, chapter 13! I hope you like it! :D**

**Chapter 13: How's that possible?**

**BPOV**

"V-Volturi?"I stuttered and stared at them in surprise. Their _mom_ worked for the Volturi?! I remember a month ago when Smith told me about it in his cottage.

_**Flashback *swoosh***_

"_But what about this Volturi then?? Is it some kind of mafia??" I asked hesitantly, not believing what I asked. He laughed at my guess, but told me._

_"Well, it's kind of a family. A very old, powerful family of our kind. They are the like this powerful, old, royal family, I suppose you could describe it. Anyway, this royal family is also like your human polices. Except much more effective, that is." Smith said and chuckled. Man, if you just offended my dad, you're in __big__ trouble, Mr.…_

_"So if you break the law, the Volturi comes and silent it down, so you humans don't know about it." he said._

_"Laws? What laws??" I asked._

_"It's really simple, but I guess it's __too __simple for you to see it. There is just one law really; don't expose that you're a vampire to the humans…"_

_**End of flashback *Swoosh***_

Oh. My. God. He broke one of the laws! He told _me,_ didn't he? I didn't think about that when he told me, but now it's kind of obvious. _He_ broke the one and only rule you could not brake...

Rick and Mick turned their eyes to me, and smiled a little.

"Yeah, sorry we didn't tell you before." Rick said to me with an apologetic smile.

"We didn't want to tell you about this since we thought it would be too much for you swallow, but it seems like someone beat us to it." Mick said, and looked at Smith again, a little bit of hate in his gaze. Smith stared at them in surprise and after a few seconds, he spoke.

"But…how?? Why? I-I don't understand…" he spoke quietly, and then shook his head swiftly. "I demand you to explain this for me." He said in a threatening tone, which made me back away from him towards the twins, slowly without him noticing. The twins grinned (at me or him, I did not know) and Rick spoke.

"Well, what if we don't want to?" he said, and Smith instantly started to growl, not as loud as before. The brothers began to chuckle.

"Alright, alright. We will tell you everything, but not now." Then, both of their expressions became a little bit more serious. "Come to our house tonight at 8, and we'll explain everything…."

"And so will _you_." Both of them said, looking –no, glaring –at Smith.

"Alright, so we will." Smith answered for me curtly, and I raised an eyebrow at him. Couldn't I speak for myself? I had a tongue, you know…

The twins seemed to have read my mind, because they looked at him skeptically, and then turned their gaze to me.

"And what about you Bella?" I nodded as an answer to their question, and they grinned.

"Alright, we have to go. I would love to stay and talk, but we have to go to our lessons now, or they'll become suspicious. We don't want some other human student to come here and hear everything we've said, do we?" not waiting for an answer, they turned towards the door and walked out of there. I followed their example and walked out of the room. I did it quickly so Smith couldn't follow, but he was quite in shock after the big bomb the twins dropped onto him (well, technically us).

What would happen to him? I mean, he told me, he broke the one and only rule all vampires had to follow… wait, what will happen to me? _I'm_ the one who knows the secret now. Will we both get killed or just one of us?

I shivered of the thought of me getting killed because of Smith, and then looked at the clock. Crap, I had missed English; it ended in 5 minutes. Better go and exchange my math books to my geography books.

I walked over to my locker and opened it, thinking of my life as I did. Why me? Why did always these kinds of things happen to me? My ex is a werewolf, my current boyfriend is a mind reader, his sister is a psychic, my math teacher is in love with me _and_ he's a vampire_ and_ he could get us both killed, and I myself have extremely bad luck, no sense of balance what so ever and I have low blood pressure… Is it only me, or is this very bad?? The mind reading and psychic persons and their abilities don't bother me, but the rest…let's just say I could manage without them.

I took my books, and just when I was about to close the locker door when the bell rang, and students began to fill the corridors. I walked slowly through the crowd towards my next class, hoping the rumors had stopped about me and the twins. But of course, I was wrong.

Suddenly, a pairs of tiny, long nailed fingers gripped into my skin, and dragged me aside from the crowd. Nobody noticed me, which had been my goal in the beginning, but now it wasn't for my benefit really when they pushed me into the classroom and closed the door after them.

"Who the hell do you think you are, bitch?!" Jessica said with her girly, artificial voice in an angry tone. I looked into her pissed face, stunned. I hadn't talked to her since…well, since the camping trip the class took. Otherwise we both had just ignored each other's presence. Until now, that is. Why she had decided that she and her so called friends were pushing me into this empty classroom, I didn't know.

"…eh, myself?" I answered slowly with uncertainty, making the answer coming out of my mouth sounding more like a question. She glared angrily at me, believing I was stupid. Well, if she wondered, I thought she was stupid too, so we're at the same level on that front.

"Oh, shut up! You know what I'm talking about, you man stealing slut!" I frowned at her strange accusation. If she was talking about Edward, didn't understand why she brought that up now. We got together last week, and we've been together as friends ever since the camping trip. Why now?

"What?" I asked, not understanding whom of all the men she's had that I've stolen (which I don't really think I have).

"Don't act like you don't know! I saw you and Rick and Mick outside the gymnasium! You were totally all over them, you bitch. First you take Edward, which I can stand even though he's like gorgeous and like _so_ hot, but taking _both_ of the twins is _not_ okay!" I frowned at first when she began her strange little speech, but it came towards the end, I couldn't help but to laugh. Anger flashed in her eyes, and I heard how Lauren gasped behind her, muttering 'bitch' under her breath.

"What's so funny, Swan?" She was obviously pissed at me, but I couldn't manage to stop laughing. The absurdity of me and Rick and Mick dating was just too great.

"Rick and Mick and I are _not_ dating, we're not anything similar to that in fact. We're just…friends." I said truthfully. Sure, both of them we're kind of irritating some times, but never evil or bad (Like Smith). They were my friends and I …well, kind of liked them (not in _that_ way).

"Friends?" she spat, getting even angrier by the second. "Sure, and that's why you followed him home and stayed there over dinner. As a _friend_." I started at her for a second, and then sighed. What was I going to say if she didn't believe me when I told the truth? Did she _want_ me to say; _yeah, you're right, I __did__ sleep with them._ I don't think that she would want that either…

"Well, I did. If you don't believe me, that's your problem." Her cheeks got red under all her foundation and I heard how her other two friends; Lauren and… well, I don't really remember her name. But they sure glared at me.

"_My_ problem?! Okay, here's what's going to happen. You," she spoke, and pointed one of her long, manicured nails at me. "Are going to stay away, okay? You _are_ going to stay away from them, and then you're going to go back to your boring, quiet life again when nobody noticed you or even knew your name, alright?" I stared at her for a long second, wondering if she really was serious. Then I got it: Oh, she_ was _serious. I laughed quietly in my mind at her stupidity. Did she really think I would do such a thing? Did she really think I would abandon my friends just because she _said _so?

Suddenly, the classroom door opened and two boys stepped into the room. Can you guess whom? Oh yes, there they where, in their full glory and all; Rick and Mick.

"Hi there girls." They said both said in their silky smooth voices, and looked at the girl with a flirty expression. The 3 girls, who had glared at me furiously just a few seconds before, smiled with delight.

"Oh, hi there. What can we do for you?" Jessica purred in her seductive voice, and I raised an eyebrow at the 3 gawking girls in front of me. Could you be this fake? Apparently, you can.

"Actually, you can." Rick said with a cunning grin. Jessica's eyes widened in surprise and delight, and then she smiled. The small blush increased, making a strange mix of color because of her foundation. I met Mick's gaze, and I stared at him for answers. He just smiled back, and winked at me with his left eye. His eyes told me 'don't worry, we'll handle this', but I wasn't too sure.

"You surely heard this strange rumor about Rick, Bella and I??" she stared at him, not sure where he was getting. "Well you see, none of that is true. Bella only came over to dinner, and that's it. So why can't you be a darling and go tell everyone that it wasn't true, alright?"

Jessica nodded eagerly, and smiled a flirty smile towards the two boys. "I guess I'll see you later." She said, and then exited the classroom, giggling together with her friends. I stared after her in wonder and then turned to the two grinning brothers with a slight frown on my face.

"Why did you do that??" their confusion on their faces made me sigh and then try to ask them again. "What I mean is, why did you help me? Why did you convince her to stop the rumors when I know you would have a blast continuing spreading things like that about the three of us?" I asked them, and their confusion eased up. They smiled at me, and walked over to put their arms around my shoulders, then they walked out of the classroom together with me.

"Well, you see Bella," Rick began as we walked down the corridor to our next class.

"Despite the fact that we _love_ teasing and fooling you, you are still our friend." Mick said, and I stared at him.

"We would never hurt you on purpose…." Rick trailed off, looking at his brother.

"Except that time at the parking lot when we first met." They both said with a grin, and I glared at them in anger.

"Wait, you could've stopped me from falling down those steps??"

"Well, rescuing a maiden in distress is one of the many things we're really good at," Mick began with a smirk.

"But that fall…" Rick continued and then trailed off with a huge grin. "It was too amusing to ignore." I huffed in shock and irritation.

"You two are both bastards, you know that?" I said as they laughed at me, and when I tried to walk away from me to our classroom door a few meters away, they held me back and pushed me against a wall, just as they had the day before outside the gymnasium.

"But seriously, we would never hurt you." Rick said with a serious look in his eyes and the smirk was gone from his face.

"We will always protect you, you know that right? We like you." I stared at them in shock and surprise. They…they liked me? No, wait a minute. This could _not_ be happening…

"Eh, I'm sorry, but I already like Edward. I like you too, but only as friends…" I told them, looking them in the eye. They stared at me, and at first, I thought they we're going to look sad, or say something like 'come on Bella, that guy's a loser. You could do so much better…like _us_.' But their reactions surprised me. They began to _laugh_, hysterically actually. People who walked by in the hall gave them strange looks, but they hardly noticed. They just held onto the wall for support so they wouldn't fall to the floor.

"What's so funny?" I asked, not understanding why they we're laughing. They we're the one who said they liked me, and now when I politely rejected them, they we're _laughing_.

After a moment of laughing, they could finally pull themselves together to give me an answer. "Bella, don't get ahead of yourself. We don't _like_ you, not in that kind of way anyways." Mick laughed at me, making my cheek burning hot. I…I misunderstood them?! That's what you get when you listen to Alice….Now I had just made a fool out of myself.

"You're our friend, that's all." Rick agreed, and smiled at the blushing me. I was cursing furiously in my head, blaming myself for thinking such a thing. Then the bell rang, and the twins grabbed my hand and began to drag me into the classroom.

"Come on Bella, the lesson is starting." Mick said as we walked inside the room. I sighed and followed to our seats, whishing I could disappear from the earth for just a moment and hide in embarrassment.

***After the lesson***

"Alright, your homework is for next Tuesday. Class dismissed." Mrs. Allison said, and all the students began to pile up their books and leave the classroom. Rick and Mick followed me out to my locker so I could leave my books.

"Ready for lunch??" I asked them as I put my books inside.

"About that…" Rick began slowly. "We have to go home and talk to our mom, about tonight." He said in a grave tone. I nodded, my face gone hard.

"We need to talk to Smith and find out what really happened here the last two months." Mick said, and his eyes kind of burned with hate when he said Smith's name.

I knew that nobody liked Smith, but these two… it felt like they really hated him, maybe even more than me (if that was possible). This morning, when they saved me from Smith (which I was so grateful for I had no words) they really glared at him. I don't see why they hate him _so _much (except for the obvious reasons; he's an idiotic, heartless bastard.)

"Ok. So…I guess I'll see you tonight." I answered them and they nodded.

"Yeah. Here's our phone numbers. Call us if you need anything." He said and reached me a small note. I thanked him, and then said goodbye.

"See ya tonight, Bambi." They said in unison with a grin and both leaned swiftly forward and planted a kiss on my cheek. My face flamed into the darkest dark in history, and anger boiled inside me.

"HEY! Don't go and kiss me like that! And stop calling me Bambi!" I yelled at them. They chuckled and quickly retreated, leaving me alone in the large corridor. I slammed my locker shut in anger, and stomped my way to the cafeteria. On my way there, nobody didn't do as much as glance at me, and then I remembered how the twins helped me escape from the bimbos. The rumors had stopped now, so they had no reason to look at me. It was actually kind of nice.

I entered the cafeteria, my eyes gazing for Alice and Edward. I quickly found them, and walked over to their table and sat down.

"Hi." I greeted them, my anger gone the second I laid my eyes on Edward. He smiled at me, his emerald green eyes shining with affection. Alice seemed to be lost in thought, and didn't greet me back.

"So, what's going on?" I asked, looking at Alice. She looked up, and smiled at me sweetly.

"Nothing really." She answered, and Edward scoffed.

"She's lying, you know. She had a vision today, and she's hiding what she saw from Me." he declared and shot a small glare at his sister. She stuck out her tongue at him in a childish manner, and then began to poke at her salad in front of her.

"It's none of your business, end of the discussion." She said firmly, not looking at him. He sighed, but decided to let it go. He turned to me in his seat and smiled.

"Shall we go and get out lunch?" he asked in his gentleman manner, and I nodded. But then he did something I did not expect. He leaned forward and kissed my gently, stroking my hair as he did. Alice squealed from her seat, and I heard murmurs around us, but I didn't care. The warm, fuzzy feeling that filled me whenever I saw him appeared, greater than ever, and my heart beat escalated quickly. After a small moment, he let me go. I gasped for air, even though it only lasted a few seconds, and a deep blush appeared in my face. He smiled at me, and then reminded me of the thing we we're originally planning to do at the moment.

"Bella? Lunch?

"Oh. Okay, sure." I said breathlessly and rose from my seat. I felt so lightheaded at the moment He grabbed my hand as we walked to the line, and squeezed it lightly. I heard a small squeal from Alice behind me, and I silently wondered if she ever was going to butt out our relationship. The answer was simple: No. We both got our sandwiches, and then walked back to the table, still hand in hand. Alice was watching us, a sly smile resting on her lips.

"What is it?" her brother asked, annoyed.

"Nothing." She answered in her sing-song voice and continued to poke in her salad, smiling slyly. I just shook my head to myself. Alice needed to hang out with her friends a little more, leaving us alone. And…talking of friends, where were Liz and Mia??

"Hey, where's Liz and Mia??" I asked, and as soon as I said their names, a flash of sadness appeared in Alice's eyes. Edward sighed, a little down too, and I stared at them. What had happened??

"They….they ran away." Alice said in a sad voice, and dropped her fork. I stared at her, not believing her words. They ran away? Why would they do that?

"Liz's mom called me this Monday and told me that none of them came home this Sunday. They talked about running away together when you had gone home, but I didn't believe them. But both of their parents checked their rooms, and all the collage money they had is gone! Some clothes and other stuff too. But…but they couldn't have done such a thing, could they??" she told me, whispering the last thing to herself. Then, she shook her head swiftly, and took a deep breath.

"I'm sure they're okay. This is what they wanted, no?" She said, and smiled a sad smile. "Let's talk about something else, this makes me all moody." She said picked up her fork again and took a big mouthful of salad.

"Okay, sure. What do you want to talk about?" I asked her, and she chewed her salad as she thought of a good topic. Then her eyes brightened and she smiled at us.

"You." She said and pointed at me and Edward. I stiffened a sigh, and waited for her to continue.

"What about us?" Edward asked, and then he sighed. "No, no way. Absolutely not." I stared at them, frowning, and wondered what she had just thought.

"Please! You've only gone on _one_ date for Christ sake!" She pleaded, and I now understood what the conversation was about; Alice planning our next date.

"And I'm sure we'll go on many more dates in the future, but we won't go on dates planned by you." Edward said and sighed. Alice pouted, but didn't say anything else. We ate the rest of our lunch in peace, making small talk every now and then.

Then the bell rang and we began to get ready for our next class. We we're just about to go when Alice suddenly grabbed me in my collar, and dragged me away from Edward.

"Hey, what are you doing!?" I yelled in protest as she dragged me away from the cafeteria. Edward stared after us with pity in his face, and I watch in shock as he just stood there, not even trying to help me out. I was just about to ask Alice when she told me the answer.

"I told him in my head I needed to talk to you, and threatened him that if he tried to help you escape from me, I would plan your next date." Her voice was low and dangerous. When we we're out of the cafeteria she let me walk for myself, dragging me along by holding a tight grip on my arm. Why was she doing this? She seemed almost…nervous about something. She hurried out to the parking lot, and dragged me over to her car.

"I thought you said you wanted to talk." I said as she unlocked the car, and jumped inside.

"Oh, we're _so_ gonna talk, but let's do that somewhere else, okay?" A flash of panic appeared in her eyes, and I agreed with a nod. Something was going on, and I was going to find out what. I joined her in the car, and she sped away from the school in a second. I gasped in surprise as Alice stomped on the gas and made her great escape from the school, and in the matter of seconds, the school was nowhere to be seen. Now when I really took a look at her, I saw that something was wrong. Her eyes we're wide open as we sped down the road, and there was a thin layer of sweat lying on her forehead. She was mumbling to herself quietly, too quiet for me to hear, and continued her mad driving for a couple of minutes.

"I think it's okay now." She said after a moment and slowed down to a reasonable speed limit. I noticed we were driving down my street. Alice parked her car in my driveway and turned off the engine. Then she rested her hands on the driving wheel and just stared forward, not speaking.

"Alice, what's going on?" I asked, and then I saw how a single tear made its way out of her eye, rolling down her cheek. "Alice? Tell me what's going on!" I demanded, worried now.

"That's what I want to know!" she screamed back at me, making me silent immediately. She turned her face to me, and I really saw the terror in her eyes.

"Do you want to know what I saw in my vision this afternoon??" she asked me, more tears rolling down her cheeks. "I saw you with that…that monster! I saw how he growled at you, that horrible sound…" she trailed off, and I tensed in my seat. Alice knew about Smith.

She took a deep breath before she continued. "Is it true that Mr. Smith is a vampire??"

**Playlist: She Had The World – Panic! At The Disco**

**A/N: Oh, poor little Alice! I hope you liked it, please review!! //RF**


	14. Secrets are revealed

**Chapter 14: Secrets are revealed **

**BPOV**

I stared at her frightened, pale face in shock, not knowing what to respond. Then she broke down. She began to cry hysterically and buried her face in her hands. I soothingly patted her shoulder; whispering gentle things to make her calm down, but it seemed to have no affect at all. She just continued to cry, her tiny little body shaking from her sobs.

"Maybe we should go inside." I suggested after a long moment of crying. Alice, who had calmed down a notch, nodded weakly. I got out of the car on my side and rushed over to hers. _Alice knew_. That was the only thing that kept going around in my head, reminding me again and again.

Alice was usually a though girl; a person who could take care of herself and wasn't scared of anything. And she could handle unnatural things very well, considering that she and her brother both we're people with some strange, unique ability's. But the impact she got when she saw Smith through her vision…I understand completely why she's acting this way. When I first found out that Smith was a vampire, he was…okay "kind" would be an exaggeration, but wasn't exactly growling at me like some wild animal or baring his teeth like he was about to bite me, like he did now.

We got inside, and I guided the now sniffling Alice to the couch, putting a blanket around her.

"I'll just go and make some coffee, I'll be right-"I began, and turned around, when Alice grabbed my arm and dragged me down on the couch.

"No! Don't… don't leave Me." she cried and launched herself into my arms. I stiffly patted her back as she hugged me tightly to herself, and I hushed soothingly.

"Okay, okay! Breathe Alice, calm down…" She nodded and took a deep, shaky breath, and then slowly breathed out. She continued that for another minute until she was remotely calm. Then we just sat there, the two of us, in silence. I listened how her heart slowed down minute after minute, and after a while (I have no idea how long) her breathing was slightly normal, and her heart rate as slow as it could be.

"Are you alright?" I asked her, stroking her short, pitch back hair. She nodded back as an answer, and continued to stay silent. After a moment, she spoke.

"I really thought he was going to kill you." She said quietly, her voice hoarse from all the tears she had cried during the last hour.

"When I sat there in the classroom and saw how he growled at you, I was so afraid that you were going to die. If it wasn't for those _twins_," she hissed the word twins in irritation, still not liking Rick and Mick, even though they had saved me. "You would've been dead right now." She held on a little tighter to me, and I shivered at the thought. I guess Alice would know such things…

"But…but how is it possible for vampires to exist? They're mythical creatures who aren't supposed to exist!" She exclaimed and sat up a little straighter, her eyes looking questioning at me, like I knew the answer just because I found out the big secret before her.

"Alice, according to most people psychics and mind readers are fictional too. Still, I have two of them as friends." I told her, and then I shrugged. "I don't know why they exist. Some things in the world are just inexplicable." I said, and then laughed when I _really_ took a look at her face.

"What? What's so funny?!" she asked with a frown, not understanding what was so funny in a serious conversation like this. Between chuckles I managed to give her a remotely good answer.

"Your face…Your makeup is running from all that crying." I told her, and she gasped in horror.

"Oh, no! Please, tell me you're lying. This is a sick joke, right?" The terror in her eyes from my words was almost as amusing as her face at the moment. I continued to laugh, and then pointed towards the bathroom. She ran upstairs, quick as a gazelle to see what it was. I almost died of laugher when I heard her shrill scream echo through the house.

"_My face_!" she screamed, and I heard some rummaging upstairs. "I look like a crazy person!" she groaned, and I heard how she turned on the tap water upstairs. I continued to laugh as she cleaned up her face. When she got downstairs, she glared at me.

"I hate you." She told me as I continued to laugh to myself as I looked at her, even though the makeup was gone.

"Ah, don't say that Alice, I didn't mean to hurt you feelings!" I told her between chuckles, remembering how terribly funny she looked when she heard the words _makeup_ and _running_ in the same sentence. She sighed at me, and shook her head slowly at me.

"Can we get back to our original subject now?" she asked, and my chuckles died out. Our original subject: Vampires. I nodded, and she stared me straight in the eye, her face stern.

"Tell me everything you know about vampires, and I mean _everything_." She demanded in a serious tone. And so I did. I told her everything about vampires I knew of, every detail of it. I told her about every sign I knew about them, how they sparkled in the sun and had super speed, strength, sight and hearing.

She became (as I had) very surprised and irritated when she found out that vampires actually had no fangs. I told her everything vampire related (nothing about werewolves though) from the camping trip, and everything about Smith; his past, his super powers, how he had erased my memories earlier and how he was in love with me. Her eyes narrowed when I told her about that part, and it didn't take long before she exploded in anger, yelling how everyone had to go and destroy her plans when it came to me and Edward. I waited a minute to continue, letting her get it all out of her system. When she finally was done, I told her about the Volturi, their rules and how the twins had a connection to them. Her eyes became quite big when I told her about their mom, Julie, and how I just had found out that she was working for the Volturi.

"What, so those snotty, badly mannered idiots have business with the most powerful vampire group in the whole wide _world_??" her eyes studied me with disbelief, and I nodded, ignoring the 'snotty, badly mannered idiots' part. I knew I couldn't convince her that they actually, despise all their pranks and mischief, were two good guys.

"Actually, it's their mom who is. To be honest, I don't really know so much about it; they promised to tell more at this meeting they invited me to tonight at 8." I told her, and her eyes turned serious.

"You have to bring me with you." She said firmly, the stubbornness glowing in her eyes. I sighed.

"No, you can't." I said, feeling a jolt of pain go through my body, just thinking about dragging Alice into this mess. She of all people couldn't get involved in this; I wouldn't forgive myself if she got hurt I any kind of way. Her eyes flashed with anger, and she glared at me.

"Yes, I _am_." People used to call _me_ stubborn, but then they hadn't met Alice… I groaned, wondering if I had a chance against her.

"Alice, you _can't_! I don't want to drag you into this mess, it's too dangerous for you to-"

"Out of the question, I'm coming with you." She interrupted me, her mouth formed into a thin line.

"Alice-"I began to protest again, when she curtly shushed me quiet, holding up a finger for me to be quiet.

"Bella, you're not the only one being worried about someone getting hurt. What if something happened to _you_? How do you think _I_ could forgive myself if that happened?" I stared at her, and felt the sour taste of defeat in my mouth. Alice's mood quickly lightened up and she grinned.

"Besides, I already see me coming with you." I sighed.

"Fine, but you better warn me if something horrible is going to happen; then we're out of there in a red second." I warned her, and she chuckled.

"Roger that." She said with a chuckle, and I couldn't help but to smile, even though my feelings inside of me were anything but happy. I knew telling her was bad. _Really _bad. But what was I going to do? She had already had the vision about Smith attacking me; I couldn't lie my way out of it. And besides, I hated having to have it a secret. Telling her was a relief in a way, lifting a stone in my heart that had troubled me for a very long time. But a even heavier stone took the other one's place now that I had told her. What if these 'Volturi' persons found out that Alice and I knew about this? Would they kill us?

_No, they couldn't possibly do that…could they? Smith was the one who exposed his secret, not us. He's the one who should get punished here, not us. _An optimistic voice in my head boosted me, and I took it in as much as I could. All I could do was to hope for the best.

"Alice," I began, looking her seriously in the eye. She looked calm at first, but suddenly, her eyes widened and stared at me, horrified. She opened her mouth to speak, but whatever she had to say had to wait, I _needed_ to say this.

"You _cannot_, under any circumstances, tell Edward about this, okay??" She looked at me with begging eyes, mumbling, 'no, no, no, please Bella', as I spoke. As I had spoken, she sighed and hung her head in her hands. I stared at her with a questioning gaze, not understanding what I had said wrong. Then, a few seconds when I heard a voice behind me, I understood what she had been trying to say the whole time.

"And exactly _what_ is it that you cannot tell me?" Edward's voice behind me made me jump in surprise, and I swiftly turned my head to look at him. He was standing behind the sofa with his arms folded in front of him, his eyes staring at me disapprovingly. The minute I saw his godlike face, my guts dropped to the floor, and my face turned white. No. he couldn't find out about this, it was worse enough that he got involved the last time, at the camping trip. Even though Smith made him forget the whole last day, I still can't forgive myself for putting him in danger. The only thing he remembers of that day was that Smith woke him up, telling him I had fallen off a cliff. After that, I promised myself he wouldn't get involved ever again.

"Edward…" I mumbled in a hoarse voice, staring at him and hoping he wouldn't find out about what Alice and I had just talked about. "How did you get in?" I asked, ignoring his question and hoped- no, _prayed_ that he would forget it. It was worse enough that I had to bring _one_ Cullen to the meeting who already knew all the secrets; I had no intentions of bringing another one.

He rolled his eyes at me question and walked over to sit beside, talking as he did. "I came through the door silly. Now…" his eyes narrowed as he stared at me, and I swallowed loudly in a lost attempt to make the large lump in my throat go away.

"What is this meeting you talked about and why can't I know of it?" he asked, and I felt the panic hit me like a punch in the gut. He knew about the meeting. How much did he know?? Did he know of Smith and all the other vampire secrets we had talked about during the past hour?

"I…eh…we…" I mumbled, having no idea what to say. Alice sighed from where she sat, and glared at her brother.

"First of all: It's none of you business. And second of all: It's _still_ none of your business." Her cold glare was piercing, and I was glad it wasn't meant for me. Edward rolled his eyes at his pixie sister, and sighed.

"I'm serious, answer my question."

Alice's mouth became a small line, and anger flickered in her eyes. "So was I. This is _seriously_ none of your business! Go home and play with Emmet, I don't have time for you!"

Edward glared at his sister, and then turned his eyes towards me. "Bella? What is this all about? Why won't you tell me??" He asked me in a much more gentle tone, looking at me with those emerald green eyes underneath his incredible long eyelashes. I stared back at him with wide, frightened eyes, panic still running through my system.

"No…" I finally managed to mumble, shaking my head lightly. "You can't know, you can't…" I trailed off, looking at Alice for support. Edward looked at Alice too, and he frowned slightly.

"Alice…does this have anything with the vision you had today?" he asked, and then he gasped. Alice looked back at me with sad eyes, and shook her head slowly in defeat.

"I'm so sorry Bella, I tried to hide it as much as I could…" she mumbled, and then I realized it was over. He knew, Edward _knew_. Tears began to fill my eyes, and I tried my hardest not to sob out loud. It wasn't supposed to go like this. Not this way. If I could've had decided, none of the Cullen's would've found out. I would've stayed in school like nothing had happened, gone home after school and then do my homework's before I would head over to the Lewis's house and discuss this whole vampire thing. But most importantly, I would do all these things _alone_. No psychic or mind reader would've followed me and found out all my darkest secrets in one afternoon.

"Bella, are you okay??" Edward's worried voice brought me back to reality, and I noticed that I was crying now. Edward took me into his arms and hugged me gently to his chest. We sat like that for a while in silence, and every now and then, Edward would say something like 'Ah…' or 'That's interesting'.

"You understand now why we couldn't tell you?" Alice said then, and I understood what they had done the last couple of minutes. Alice had showed him in her mind what I had told her, probably everything and more…

Edward grabbed my shoulders and gently pushed me back so he could see my face, and I could see all the pain hidden under the surface. "Why didn't you tell me earlier? You've known this for so long and…and you never even considered telling me?" I looked down at my hands and spoke quietly.

"I-I didn't want any of you hurt…" I stuttered, feeling how a single tear escaped from my eye and landed on my hand. I heard how Alice chuckled, and I turned my head towards her direction, staring at her in confusion.

"Bella, if anyone even though about the idea, we would know. You worry too much about others Bella, you'll turn permanently grey. Just take care of yourself and everything will be fine." She said with a grin, and I smiled halfheartedly back at her.

Edward smiled too and then he spoke. "So…when's this meeting?" I stared at him. No, did he really think he was going to come with us?

I was just about to protest when Alice sighed and rolled her eyes at me. "Just face it Bella, both him and I are coming with you tonight, end of discussion. That future is perfectly set in-"she was cut off mid sentence by a knock on the door, and Alice gasped.

"It's _this_ again! It all…it just disappeared! Don't tell me…" she mumbled, following me to the door with a disapproving frown on her face. I opened the door, and outside stood no other than Jacob.

"J-Jake? What are you doing here?" I asked, and he grinned.

"I've been trying to see you the last few days, but you where always gone somewhere." He said, and glanced at the company behind me. He frowned and then looked back at me.

"What are they doing here??" he asked like they weren't there, with slightly distaste in his tone. Then he just shook his head. "On the other hand, I don't want to know. I just wondered one thing." I nodded for him to continue. "Are you going to the meeting tonight at those twins place?" he asked, and I was just about to answer, when Alice shocked spoke.

"Wait, _he_ knows about the meeting?!?" she exclaimed in surprise, which made Jake frown.

"I could ask the same thing to you, pixie. How do _you_ know about the meeting?" he asked her sourly with a glare. Then they all turned to look at me, seeking answers.

"Eh…why don't you come inside Jake, and we can discuss-"I was about to continue, but they all were already on their way back inside. I closed the door after him and followed the others inside. Jake sat down in one of the armchairs, Alice in another one, and Edward and I sat down in the sofa. You could feel the tension between us as we sat down in the living room, and I nervously cleared my throat, standing up.

"I'll just go and make some coffee. Does anybody-"I was just about to escape the suffocated environment when Jake gently but firmly pushed me back down on the sofa.

"Nah-uh. You're going to explain this, Bells. You're not getting out of this one." Jake said darkly, and I groaned.

"Fine. Alice found out that Smith is a vampire, and I explained everything to her about _vampires_."I told him, looking him in the eye. I hope he understood I hadn't told them anything about werewolves, but you never knew with Jake…

"Then, when I was explaining here, Edward came and heard it, so I explained it to him too, and now they both want to come to the meeting." I finished, but he still looked a little suspicious.

"Okay, well _how_ did the pixie find out?" he said, and looked bitterly at her. She glared back, and I sighed.

Then Alice said something I didn't think she would say. "I'm a psychic and my brother can read minds. I can see the future, and I got a vision when that Smith tried to take a bite at Bella." She said, and I felt how my chin dropped to the floor. I never thought she would tell _Jake_ about her ability's…

Jake cracked a disbelieving smile, and he stared at her. "Really? Then what am I about to do now??" she asked challenging, and she groaned.

"I don't know!" she groaned in frustration, which made him laugh. "Everything about you is a blank hole; I can't even see my own future right now." He laughed at her, enjoying himself.

"Then what about you, mind reader?" he turned to Edward, who was sighing.

"You think about so much, I get sick. But right now you thought about how annoying my sister is, which I agree with to some extent." He said, and Jake grinned.

"Wow, you really have some talented friends here." Jake said with a grin, and I nodded. I sure did, involving him too…

"But still, how do _you_ know about this?" Edward asked, and then his eyes widened in surprise from something he had heard in his head.

Jake grinned, and spoke in a confident voice. "You're not the only one who's different here. I'm a werewolf, and I've watched Bella's back in a way that you could never do." He said, and winked at me. I looked at the other two, but they seemed to handle the strange surprise pretty well. They weren't scared or shocked at all; Edward just stared at him and Alice scoffed at his words.

"If 'watching her back' means stalking, then yes, you did it in a way we never could." She said with a grin, and he stuck out his tongue out like a 5 year old.

"Hey you guys, stop it." I told them firmly, glaring at them, and they both stopped it. But when Alice said those words, it reminded me of something that Smith had mentioned earlier.

"Jake…" I began, looking into his dark eyes.

"What is it Bella?" he asked, forgetting everything about the small pixie who sat in the chair next to him.

"Did you follow me when I went to the Lewis's house yesterday?" I asked, and as soon as my words we're out, Alice began to laugh hysterically. Edward cracked a smile, but other than that stayed calm.

"What? No! Where did you hear that from?!" he asked, and I raised an eyebrow at him.

"Really? So you _didn't _meet Smith in the woods and tell him to stay away from me and the twins, and then fight him?" I asked him, and his eyes widened in realization.

"Oh, you meant _that_." He said, and then smiled at me warmly. "Yeah, I guess I did." He said which made Alice laugh even more. "Hey, I wasn't finished." He told her acidly and then turned to me again.

"When Charlie told me that you where at those twins house, I went out and searched after you scent. When I finally found it and followed it, I met that bastard Smith. He said he was on his way to see you, but I wouldn't let him, so I told him to stay away, threatening him that you said so. But he wouldn't budge, so we began to fight." He said, and when he noticed how I tensed my body, he grinned. "Relax, it was nothing serious. We fought for a while, and then he gave up and left. I continued to follow your scent, and then reached the house. I stayed outside and patrolled, making sure Smith wasn't coming back, and when you left, I changed back to human form and paid them a visit." I frowned at him. Why did he go and talk to them?

Like he had read my mind, he answered the question in my head. "As I was outside, I thought something was off by the way they talked. And most importantly, it reeked of vampires. So I met them and talked to them. That's how I found out that their mom was working for those fancy leeches. I told her about me and my brothers, how we could take the form of a wolf and communicate with our minds. We exchanged numbers, since we could use their information they had about the bloodsuckers. Then she called me this afternoon and said that you and that bloody bastard were invited to this meeting this afternoon, and I couldn't decline her wonderful offer." He said, and I stared at him in wonder. So he had gone and talked to Julie and his sons when I had gone home…

"Wow…" I mumbled, stunned by the information I just had gotten. "So…you're going to the meeting too??" I asked, even if I knew the answerer. He scoffed at my stupid question, but answered anyway.

"Yeah, of course I am! Do you really think I'm letting you go all alone with these two freaks?" he asked, earning a small and irritated 'hey!' from the two siblings. I gave him a mild glare, but let it go for the moment.

"Alright then, so I guess we all are going to their house tonight." I stated.

"Yeah. But I still don't believe that the mutt really is a werewolf." Alice said and Jake turned to her in his seat.

"Really? And why is that?" he asked challenging, and I groaned. The two of them really behaved like 4 year olds when they met each other. I mumbled stop it in a weak attempt to make them stop, but nobody of them listened.

"Well," she said, a sly grin playing on her lips. "You're not that …manly if I have to say so myself." She said, and I saw how he flushed in anger under his russet skin. Edward chuckled beside me, and I turned my head to look at him. He was holding his hand in front of his mouth to stifle the sound, but he wasn't succeeding.

"What!?" Jake exclaimed, furious. He glared at her, and suddenly he began to shake uncontrollably. _Oh oh._

"Jake, calm down." I said as soothingly as I could manage with my shaky voice, and he turned his head into my direction, meeting my gaze.

"Follow me." he managed to say through gritted teeth, and stood up and began to walk towards the door. We quickly followed him outside to the backyard, and when he began to walk to the forest, I became a little worried.

"Eh, Jake what are you-"I began to ask.

"You'll see." He interrupted me curtly, sounding a little more spiteful than I think he meant. We followed him on the small forest trail until we came to a small clearing.

"Wait here." He said, and then began to walk into the bushes, taking off his shirt in the progress. I blushed, and I felt Edward's gaze on me.

"If you're going to strip for us, you can forget it!" Alice called after him, and I heard him chuckle, despite his anger. Then, some sort of ripping noise was heard, and a small growl. Alice's before confident face now grew a little pale, and she backed away from the place where Jake had gone into. Edward chuckled at his sister, but didn't say anything. Obviously, he already knew what Jake had in mind, but he didn't seem to have any plans to share it with the rest of us. Suddenly, a large, familiar reddish-brown wolf (big wolf) appeared in front of us. I heard how Alice gasped, and I raised an eyebrow at Jake.

"Really? Your manhood got hurt, so you had to prove that you're a big, fancy wolf?" I asked skeptically, looking into his big, dark eyes. He rolled his eyes at me, and waved his tail playfully.

"Yeah, yeah, you're really cute, now can we please get back to the house? Charlie will be home soon, and I have to prepare his dinner before he gets home." I told him, and he growled a little to show his disapproval, but then bolted towards the woods again. He wasn't as fast as vampires, but boy was he fast. His body became a blur of brown color, and before I knew it, he was out of sight. A few seconds passed, and then he reappeared in front of us, shirtless and with a frown on his face.

"Come on Bella, don't be such a buzz killer!" he complained as we walked back to the house. Alice was wrinkling her nose in distaste, and I laughed at her funny expression.

"Jake, can't you please put your shirt on?" I asked instead of answering his ridiculous question.

"Fine." He grumbled, and did as I he was told. I had to admit his body had become very well built ever since he had become a werewolf, but that didn't mean he had to show it to everyone…

Then suddenly, Jake chuckled.

"So, what did you think if it, psychic chick?" Jake asked, and Alice grinned a little evilly.

"Well…it was sure as hell not cute."

***Later***

"Well, I hope you'll have fun kid. See ya later." Charlie called as we walked out of the door into the slightly chilly weather. After Jake's lovely performance in the forest we got back inside and I began to make lasagna to Charlie. Edward helped me in the kitchen, and Alice and Jacob sat in the living room, quarreling with each other, even though I yelled at them a thousand times to be quiet and behave.

"So, whose car are we riding in?" Jake asked, and I looked at our options. Either it was my car, which only had 2 seats, or we could ride in Edward's Volvo. Then I noticed Jake didn't get here by car.

"Jake, did you run here or something?" I asked him, and he nodded with a grin.

"Yeah, it's faster that way."

"Huh…well, I guess we'll take Edward's car. Is that okay with you?" I asked him, and he nodded with a grin. I smiled back as best as I could, and then followed him to the car. I was nervous; there was no other way to put it. Going to that meeting, bringing two uninvited guests who shouldn't know about these things, made me a little panicky. I sat down in the backseat together with Jake, and then Edward began to drive away from my house.

"You're going to have to guide me there, you know." He told me as he drove down the street, and I looked out the window, smiling.

"Okay, sure. Just keep driving on the motorway until I say otherwise." I told him. Suddenly, I saw something outside that caught my eye. I saw a small fox who ran in the forest, and it was quite fast it I may say so myself. It ran peacefully through the forest, as we drove by, and as we passed it, I met its eyes. They were yellow and they reminded me of Smith's very much, except these ones looked so innocent and not as evil. But it was soon out of my sight, and I forced my mind to think of something else, something important.

The drive to the twins' house was silent, but quite nice in the same way. It gave me the perfect time to think this through. Unfortunately, I we reached our destination sooner than I thought, and panic began to spread through my system.

"Bella, calm down. This is going to go just fine, you'll see." Jake said, and grinned at me, but it didn't reassure me. I took a big, shaky breath before I stepped out of the car, and looked at the large house in front of me.

_You can do this, nothing is going to happen_. I told myself quietly in my mind, and was just about to follow the others to the door when I heard a voice from my left side. I turned, and surprise hit me hard.

"You look like you're going to pass out, are you okay?" A small _fox_ asked, looking at me with his yellow eyes, and I then realized who it was.

"Smith?!" I exclaimed, and the small fox gave me a full smile. Then suddenly, the fox…exploded into pink smoke, and the Smith we all knew (and hated) appeared.

"I'm glad that you decided to come Bella, but your company is what that's troubling Me." he said, and anger flashed in his eyes as he looked over into the direction where the other stood and watched.

"Then why don't you come inside and discuss it with us?" Julie's confident voice echoed through the air, and Smith and I turned to look at the well dressed woman in the threshold.

"Oh Julie, nice seeing you again." Smith said with his most smooth voice, and she coldly smiled back.

"Hello Smith." She greeted him, and then let her eyes wander to me, turning a little bit warmer as they did. "Bella, I'm happy to see you again. I see you brought some of your friends." She said, eyeing Alice and Edward. "Well, well, let's take this inside, shall we?" she said, and stepped inside her grand house, gesturing that we should follow her inside. I quickly walked –almost ran –to Edward's side, and together with him, I entered the magnificent house.

**Playlist: When The Day Met The Night – Panic! At The Disco**


	15. The Meeting

**Chapter 15: The meeting **

**BPOV**

Once inside, Julie guided us to her large office on the third floor, and told us to sit down in one of the large sofas while she ran to the kitchen to get something to drink. Alice, Edward and I sat down together in one of the sofas, Jacob comfortably sat down in an armchair to our right, and Smith sat down alone in the large sofa on the opposite side.

"Sure is a nice place they've got…" Jake mumbled as he looked around in Julie's office, smiling to himself. He was the only one who seemed okay with all this. I was so nervous I could die. Alice and Edward did not speak, which I thought was quite good. Smith was clearly not thrilled by the idea that they were here, and I'm sure he'd already figured out that they both already knew about his secret. He glared into our direction, and as his eyes wandered to Alice, she flinched noticeably and inched closer to me, squeezing my arm so hard it hurt a little.

Smith's cold stare turned to me, which made me shiver in discomfort, and I looked away. My heart beat with incredible force in my chest, like it wanted to jump right through it, and I breathed slowly through my nose in a lost attempt to slow down my heart's racing phase. I looked around in the large room, and gasped as I recognized something. I sat up more straight, preparing to stand up, and dragged my arm loose from Alice's death-hold in the progress.

"Where are you going?" she whispered in a panicked voice, staring at me with wide eyes. I could see the fear in them, and I smiled back at her as reassuringly as I could.

"I'm just going to check something out, I'll be right back." I said, and then stood up from my seat. Unfortunately, I rose too quickly and dizziness filled my head. Black spots clouded my eyes, my ears rang, and I felt how I staggered backwards.

Suddenly, a pair of warm hands caught me by the waist, and prevented me from falling. I regained my sight, and looked backwards to see Edward's worried eyes looking down at me.

"Are you alright?" he asked, his eyes scanning my face.

I waited a moment so the answer would be truthful when I said it. "Yes, thank you. It was just a head rush, nothing else." I told him, and stepped out of his hold. You could see he didn't believe me when I told him, but let it go. I got out of his hold, thanked him once again, and began to walk over to the other side of the office. There, on the wall, hang a picture. It was the same photograph I had seen in the twin's room, the one with the pale man with long, dark hair and dark eyes, who posed like an idiot together with the twins. Behind me, I heard how Alice suddenly gasped, and then I felt a cold touch on my shoulder.

"What are you looking at?" Smith asked in a soft tone, and in the background, I heard how Alice mumbled 'How did he do that?' I turned around to answer, but when I saw his face, I couldn't speak. He was staring intensely at the picture before him, his mouth formed like a small 'o'.

"I can't believe it…" he mumbled to himself, shocked by something in the photograph. "It's really Aro…"

"What?" I asked him, not understanding his strange behavior. His eyes stared at the picture I had been looking on and I didn't really see what fascinated him so much. However, my thoughts were interrupted when Julie returned to the room, carrying a tray with 5 cups on it. She looked over at me and Smith, and her eyes narrowed slightly.

"What's happening over here?" she asked, walking over to the others and placing the tray on the small table in the middle of the seating area. Smith, who before looked like he had seen a ghost or something, smiled friendly, and placed a hand on my back and began to lead me back to the others.

"We were just looking at that picture of yours. When did you last visit Volterra?" he asked casually and controlled, despite all the feelings that had to be rushing through him at the moment. We sat down in our seats again, and Alice gripped my hand the moment she got the opportunity.

"Oh, that?" she asked, looking into the direction of the picture. "It was taken this summer when the boys and I took a trip to visit." She told him, no friendliness implied as she did. Then she looked over to us humans, and smiled warmly at us.

"Here, I made you some tea. Please, have some." She said and took one of the cups for herself. With my free hand I reached for one of the cups, and took a sip. It tasted wonderful, much better than my lost attempts at making tea. Jake also took a cup, but the other two didn't move. Julie watched them with curiosity, and then sat down next to Smith in the large couch.

"So, I believe we have some things we need to discuss." She said after a small moment of silence.

"We sure do." Two familiar voices answered from the door, and in came the twins, grinning ear to ear. Julie sighed.

"_Enfin!_ I thought you wouldn't show up, you impudent sons. We're just about to begin." Julie sighed in irritation as her sons made their entrance. They gave me a wink as they sat down in the two last chairs in the room, and then looked at Edward and Alice.

"Huh…well, since we're beginning now, can Bella _please _explain why she brought the pixie and her boyfriend?" Mick said, and everyone turned their eyes to me. This was the moment I had been dreaded for all this time. What would they do once they knew? Would they punish me? Would they tell those Volturi guys and have us killed?? They wouldn't do that, would they?

"Yes, that is something I'm wondering myself actually." Smith agreed, and his yellow eyes burned into mine. I swallowed audibly and looked down at my hands.

"Well…I-"I began to explain, when I got interrupted by Edward.

"We found out." He said simply in a calm, strong voice, and I turned my head to look at him. He looked at Julie calmly, not paying me any attention, and he wore a small smile on his face.

"Found out? Just like that? Found out how?" Rick asked him with a frown on his face, and from the corner of my eye I noticed how Smith glowered at him evilly. Jake, who hadn't said anything, just stared at us with pure curiosity. My eyes grew big as I stared at him, and panic started to grow inside of me. What was he going to tell them; that they both have supernatural abilities that made them figure out that vampires exist in this world?

Edward sighed, and then spoke just as calm as before. "I can read minds, and my sister is psychic." He said simply and looked Julie right in the eye. He said it so natural, like he was telling us something …normal, instead of this craziness that just happens to be true.

Rick and Mick began to laugh, but was then curtly hushed by their mother. It was clearly that the twins didn't believe any word of what he just had said, but Julie was serious. She stared at him with a slight frown on her face, and thought quietly to herself. Smith just glared at him, his jaw stiff in anger.

"Really? How interesting… May I ask you-"she began, but then Edward interrupted her.

"How that's possible? We don't know. My sister has been able to see the future since she was a child. I on the other hand just recently developed this gift of mine. Before, I just had a hint of what others opinions were and such, but I haven't been able to read minds as clearly I can now." He explained, and Julie smiled in delight.

"I see. What about you, child? How does your ability work? Can you see the future now??" she asked, and I turned my eyes to her. She looked a little calmer now than before, but a troubled look lingered in her eyes. When Julie had asked her, she wrinkled her nose, and then shook her head.

"Right now, I can't even see my own. It's all because of _him_." She hissed the last word, and shot a small glare towards Jake's direction. Julie raised one eyebrow, and then turned her head to Jake.

"Jacob, would you please be so kind and help us in this experiment??" She asked, and he grinned.

"Sure, sure. How far do you need me to go?" he asked Alice and stood up from his seat.

"It's not really that far. Just…just get out of the room; that should be enough." She said, and he grinned.

"Whatever you say, pixie." He said, and then walked out of the room. Alice released my hand and began to rub her temples slowly, and closed her eyes in concentration.

"Is…is something the matter?" Julie asked, concern ringing in her voice. Alice opened her eyes, and lowered her hands, smiling slightly.

"No I'm fine, it's just a headache. I always get one when I'm around that _mutt_." She sighed, and I heard how Jake scoffed from outside the room.

"Are you sure it's okay? I can get you an aspirin if that will help you see your vision clearer." Julie asked concerned again, but she just shook his head.

"No it's alright, I can already see now." She said, and then took a small, but deep breath. "You wanted to know how it works, right?" she asked, and Julie nodded calmly, but you could see the burning eagerness in her eyes.

"Well, it's very complicated to explain. I get pictures in my head, showing me exactly what will happen in a certain place or to a certain person. My visions are always clear as a bell, and as long as nobody changes their minds, the vision will come true. It's very rare that I get visions that doesn't involve me in any way without me focusing on it, but it happens time to time." She said, and glanced at Smith.

"Oh, that's how you found out about Mr. Smiths secret?" Julie asked, and Alice nodded.

"Yes."

Julie raised an eyebrow at Smith, and then looked at Alice again with a warm smile creeping on her lips. "Would you care to demonstrate your gift?" she asked hopefully, and Alice shrugged.

"Sure, why not?" she said. Then she dropped her smile, and an angry frown was planted on her face. I stared at her in confusion, but the second later I got my answer. The twins had taken one of the teacups when no one had looked, and thrown it into Alice direction, flying directly towards her head. Alice's hand snapped up fast as a cobra, and caught the teacup before it made its impact on her, and then slowly turned her head towards the two twins. She glared at them angrily, and they both looked at her with a guilty look.

"If you're planning to throw something at me, I recommend you do it when the mutt is here, otherwise I'll see it coming." She hissed at them, and I realized that the anger in her voice wasn't just there because they had tried to throw the teacup at her. She was still sore because they almost had destroyed all her plans between me and Edward. Even though they had saved me from getting killed by Smith, she still hated them.

"_Oh mon dieu..._ That's just-"

"Fascinating? Some may put it like that, yes. But if those two weren't sure about throwing the cup at me, the vision would've been blurry. But even so, I would've still gotten a glimpse of what they were planning." She explained to Julie as she put down the teacup on the tray again.

"How extraordinary…" Julie mumbled, and you could tell by the look on her face that she really thought that all this was fascinating.

"But why can't you see the wolf?" Smith suddenly asked her. Alice tensed by the sound of his voice, and then took a deep breath before she answered him.

"I don't know. I can see you _bloodsucker _just fine, but when it comes to him, it all just turns out blank." She said, hissing the word 'bloodsucker'. I was surprised she was this bold, daring to offend Fishy this way. I'm not saying it was wrong, because he _is_ a bloodsucker, no fact can change that, and he's a terrible person in general. But it _was_ kind of stupid to say such a thing. Smith hissed at her angrily, and she stiffened in fright.

Luckily, Julie stepped in before things got ugly. "Hey! Cut it out!" she said, and slapped Smith's arm. The sound stopped abruptly, but he wouldn't stop glaring at her. I sighed in irritation at his stupid actions. I had told him even worse things than _bloodsucker_, but those times he wouldn't even stop smiling at me. He was only doing this to scare her, I knew it.

"Smith, please just stop it." I told him in a firm tone, and he snapped his head into my direction. His eyes softened and a flawless smile appeared on his lips.

"Anything for you." He said calmly, like the previous little quarrel hadn't happened, and I rolled my eyes at him. I heard how Jake made a gagging noise in the hall outside the room, and Rick and Mick laughed at him. Edward and Alice looked very disgusted, but tried not to show it so much.

"Hey, can I come in now?" Jake said loud enough so we could hear.

"Absolutely. Come in." Julie said, and seconds later, Jake reappeared into the room, grinning and wrinkling his nose in disgust at the same time and then sat down in his chair again.

"So, to summarize all this; Alice had a vision about Smith which revealed his secret, and then her brother read her mind and found out, am I right?" Julie said, and the three of us nodded. "I see. Did you tell them anything else?" Julie turned to me.

I looked down at my hands for a few seconds, and then met her eyes as I told her the truth. "After Alice found out, I explained everything I knew about vampires. Then Edward came and read her mind and that way found out about everything too. Then they both wanted to come to this meeting, and I agreed to it." I told her, leaving out the part when they had to force me to agree with them coming along.

"Well," Julie said with a small sigh. "What's done is done, we cannot change the past. I'm not so thrilled by the idea that you told them, but I guess you had to. I will have to tell the Volturi though"

"Speaking of the Volturi, is it not your turn to tell?" Smith asked Julie.

"Remember that you have things to inform too." Rick said in a warningly tone, his eyes narrowing slightly.

Smith sighed and looked at Rick. "I know that already, kid. I'll tell you everything you want to now once you have." He said, and looked at Julie again.

Julie shrugged casually. "What do you want to know?" She asked almost bored, and looked at Smith. His eyes darkened a little, and I could tell that he was getting irritated.

"You know what I want to know. Tell me about you connection with the Volturi." He said sourly.

"Alright, Alright." She said, and then turned her eyes to me. "What do you know about the Volturi?" she asked.

"Not much really. Smith said that they were this powerful family that almost worked like police in the vampire world." When I told her this, she began to laugh. I frowned in confusion. Had he lied? Was I completely wrong?

"I'm sorry, I did not mean to laugh, but the way you put it makes them sound so… so unimportant and childish." She apologized, and her laughter died out. "But to put it as simple as possible, you could say that. As you know, the Volturi is a powerful family that has its roots from Italy. They make sure you follow the one and only rule in the vampire world; never expose your existence to the humans." She said, and Alice gasped.

"But Smith has already done that, and …and you know about vampires too and so do Rick and Mick. Will…will we get killed??" I asked, feeling how the panic made its way through my system once again. But Julie just began to laugh at me again, which made me feel a little calm.

"I was getting to that. Since I work for them, they will not do me or my family any harm. But for you…I do not _think_ this will become so problematic that you will get killed, no. But Smith on the other hand…" she trailed off, watching him with thoughtful eyes. "For you, my friend, I do not know. It is their decision to make, not mine. But I don't think this will be a problem for Edward and Alice, Bella. Since your friends here has such…_ amazing _skills on their hands, I think they will let them live."

Relief filled my whole heart, and I could almost burst of joy. Edward and Alice would surely get to live! All this stress and anxiety that had been pressing on me these last hours…it was so wonderful hearing this kind of thing. I know she said '_think _they will let them live', but that's good enough for me.

"But what about Bella?" Edward asked suddenly, bringing me out of my blissful thoughts. I turned my head to see his face, and I met his worried eyes. They stared at me for a small moment, and then he looked at Julie again. "Will Bella be okay?" he asked again. Julie looked at me with slightly sad eyes, and then shook her head.

"I told you, I do not know. They will _probably_ let her live, I do not see any reason why she shouldn't, but I can't make any promises." She said, and Alice gasped. I just stared at her, not knowing what to say. Even though she told me something like this, I was still revealed that Edward and Alice were safe. If I die, I'll die. I'm not suicidal or anything, but I'm not stupid either. I know the possibility is there, and if that happens… well, I don't really want to think about it, because if truth should be told, I'm kind of scared just of the thought.

But they decide to kill Me, at least I'll die alone. If Smith joins me, I won't contradict. He'll have a swell time in hell. But just as long as anyone of my friends doesn't get hurt, I'm okay with it. I'll try to protect them with all my might, even if that means death.

"But…but that's just crazy!" Jake exclaimed and frowned in disapproval.

"Mom, Aro wouldn't do that to us, Bella is our friend." Mick said, but he didn't sound so sure. It almost sounded like he was trying to convince them both, instead of just Julie. I had no idea who this Aro was that he mentioned, but I guess it was someone they knew. After those words, the chaos began. Everyone began to talk at the same time, and the anger and confusion rose quickly. They all wanted their opinion to be heard, but the problem was that no one listened on the others. Besides, they all thought the same thing: it was crazy.

"_Ça suffit!_" Julie yelled in a loud and clear voice that silenced everyone. We all stared at her as she glared back at us, her blue eyes flashing with anger. "I _said_, that's enough. I don't know what will happen to Bella, but she will most likely be spared by the Volturi. If not, I will try my best to make them change their minds. I love Bella too, are you forgetting that??" She said in an irritated tone, and then looked at me. Her eyes softened, and her expression became gentle.

"Bella my dear, I want you to know that I already consider you as a part of my family, even though we're not related by blood. I will do everything in my power to keep you alive." She said, softly, and I smiled at her.

"Eh- Thank you, Julie." I said truthfully, and then looked around at the room into the others faces. "I thank you all for worrying about me, but I'll be fine, I promise. Now can we please continue?" I asked Julie, and she nodded. I had no desire of discussing if I will or will not die in the future.

"Alright. Where was I? Oh right, the rules. Bella, when you mentioned before that the Volturi were like the humans police, you were right in some extent. The Volturi is very harsh with their rules when it comes to vampires, but they aren't just making sure they all follow the rules. Sometimes vampires run amok, and begin to kill a lot of humans. It can be because they're bored, that they're crazy, or that they're a newborn. A newborn in the vampire world is a newly turned vampire. They are new with all their senses and often kill many people under their first years as a vampire. They are like that because their animal instinct rule over their actions, and make them very irresponsible and foolish. That's where the Volturi comes in. They kill those vampires who can't control their thirst, and keep them in order." She explained in a serious tone, looking me straight in the eye.

"But…where do you come in? How did you start to work with the Volturi??" I asked her, and she smiled at me.

"It was by pure accident. I visited Volterra in a business trip, and stumbled upon them. I witnessed a fight between two vampires in the small town late at night. At first, they wanted to kill me, but then one of them though they recognized me, and they brought me to their leaders. The vampire who thought he recognized me, actually confused me with my mother, who's a legendary supermodel who's well known in the whole world. Lucky for me, one of the leaders had once met my father, who's a great businessman and offered me to work for them. Of course I said yes, otherwise I would've gotten killed, and I promised to keep my knowing of vampires a secret. After that, I've worked for the Volturi and it didn't take long for my rank to rise." She explained, and I stared at her with wide eyes, sucking up her words like a sponge.

"Then later I met Rick and Mick's father and fell in love. At that time, his computer company was quite large, but not as big as it is now. I suggested to the leaders that they should do business with his company, and they agreed. Because of that, I could tell Léonard about the vampires, and to my surprise he took it quite good. But it was very good that Léonard's company began to do business with the Volturi. We gave the Volturi an eye of the modern technology, and they got quite interested actually. They wanted to start to learn more about the technology of today, and I was more than happy to teach them. Then I gave birth to those two, which made it hard to travel to Italy as much as I had before."

"But not impossible." Rick joked, and he and his brother snickered together. Julie rolled her eyes at her sons, but continued.

"No, it wasn't impossible. I brought you with me, didn't I? The absolute leader of the Volturi, Aro, grew quite fond of Rick and Mick as I brought them with me to Italy." She said. Aha, so this Aro was the leader of Volturi…

"What can we say?" Mick said with a grin.

"We're natural talented when it comes to bonding with people." Rick finished his brother's sentence, and grinned.

"Yeah, right." Alice muttered beside me, too low for the twins to hear, which made Jake and Smith chuckle quietly.

"But wait a minute." I said then, a question bubbling to my lips. "So, you can speak French, English _and_ Italian?" I asked, wondering how talented this family was. Julie laughed at my question, and nodded.

"Yes, but I learned quite fast. It wasn't that hard to tell the truth." She said with a smile, and then took a sip from her teacup.

"May I ask something?" Smith asked suddenly, and Julie turned to him.

"Eh, I believe you already did, but sure." Julie said, dropping her smile.

"The other humans who work at the Volturi, they wish that they once will get turned. They know that they can get killed any moment there if the Volturi gets tired of them. I just wondered… are you the same?? Do you wish that you'll get turned one day like the rest of them??" he asked. I didn't know that…were there actually people who decided to waste their lives working for them, knowing that they could get killed at any moment?

Julie shook her head slowly. "No, I'm not one of those people who heard rumors of the vampires in the city of Volterra, and decided to work for them hoping that I one day would get eternal life. If I had wanted that, I would've already done it. I have been offered several times though, but every time I decline. I may be fascinated by supernatural creatures and such, but I never craved to be one myself."

"Ah, I see…" Smith trailed off in wonder, thinking for himself. Julie looked back at me, and gave me a small smile.

"Was there anything more you wanted to know??" she asked, and I shook my head.

"No, I think that was all." I told her, and she nodded in comprehension. Then she looked at Edward and Alice.

"What about you? Do you wish to know something else that I haven't already told you?"

Edward shook his head. "No thank you." He declined politely, and so did his sister.

"Alright, I guess that was all I had to tell. Now it's time for you, Mr. Smith." Julie said, and her voice became very unfriendly, and her smile vanished, a frown replacing it.

"What do you want to know?"He asked uninterested and leaned back in the sofa. The question that Julie asked shocked me.

"Do you have anything to do with the 4 dead bodies that we've found scattered around Forks??"

**Playlist: Embers – Just Jack**

**A/N: …I'm sorry for the cliffhanger guys; I know that was really evil of me… I hope you liked the chapter, despite the evil cliffhanger on the end. Please review!!//RF  
**


	16. Suspiciousness

**Chapter 16: Suspiciousness **

**BPOV**

"What?!" Smith stared wide eyed at Julie in shock, his jaw hitting the floor. My eyes grew big as well, and I looked at the twins for answers, but they didn't even glance into my direction. Their icy glares were pointed towards Smith, and when you looked at them, it almost seemed impossible that they one second ago had made sarcastic remarks and joked with the rest of us. Alice and Edward tensed beside me, and Edward frowned.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about!" Julie spat at him, her anger rising each second. "The last month we've found 4 dead bodies drained of blood around Forks, and 7 people have gone missing." Smith stared at her like she was speaking a different language, and after a few seconds, he responded.

"I don't know what you're talking about; I have nothing to do with this! You know I don't hunt humans, I only survive on animals!" he yelled back at her, his futures showing anger twisted with confusion. "And besides, even if it had been me who killed those humans, it would've shown. My eyes would've changed color to red instead of yellow, you know that! And it takes at least a week for the original color to get back."

Julie frowned disapprovingly at him, clearly not believing what he just had said. She began to said something back, and so did the twins, but I didn't listen because right at that moment, Edward stretched his hand behind me to pat Alice's shoulder.

"I don't know, we can always ask." He said in a soothing tone that in the same time sounded a little stiff. I looked at Alice, and gasped at what I saw. Tears had begun to roll down her cheeks, and her face wore a heartbroken expression.

"Alice! What's wrong?!" I asked, almost yelled, which made the other conversation in the room to quiet down. Alice's body shook from her soundless sobs, and I immediately turned and started to pat her soothingly as Edward had.

Suddenly, her sobs erupted, and she swiftly looked up at Smith in a glare. "_You_!" she yelled in her tiny voice, making Smith stiffen in his seat. The anger and sorrow in her voice and expression was clear and a jolt of pain shot through my body as I saw my best friend in this condition. "You we're the one who made them go missing! They wouldn't just disappear without a notice! You killed them!" she screamed at him, tears flowing down her cheeks from her glaring eyes. Smith frowned in confusion at her, not understanding what she was talking about.

"You killed Liz and Mia!" Once her words were out, I gasped in horror, and turned my eyes to Smith. He looked confused, but there was something else there, hiding beneath the surface. Julie's eyes became wide with shock and she leaned forward in the sofa.

"When did they go missing Alice?" She asked in an almost sad voice, the burning curiosity hiding beneath it.

"La-Last Sunday..." She stammered, having a hard time to keep it together. When I heard that, I narrowed my eyes. I remembered the happening between me, Smith and Jake…

**Flashback *swoosh***

_A growl started to rumble in his chest and his eyes turned dark. The anger that had been so strong before died in a second, and fear began to fill me._

_He's going to kill me, he's going to kill me…_

_"I told you; stay inside! Man, you never listen, do you?!?" Jake's irritated voice made me look up, and I felt how my heart was filled with hope. Maybe I wasn't going to die today. __Maybe__._

_Smith glared at Jake, and then he looked back at me._

_"You're going to regret this." He hissed, and then, he was just gone._

**End of flashback *swoosh***

That happened this Saturday… Did he really do it?! To admit it, I don't want to believe it. I want to believe that Liz and Mia went to Seattle to have some fun for a week, and then they'd come home again… But killed? Alice just said that they were missing, that they had run away from home. And Smith…he _said_ I would regret it, but when I met him that Monday, he didn't do anything…Does that mean that he actually…?

"You bastard…" I muttered, tears beginning to fill my eyes. Smith's eyes turned to me, and his expression was utterly heartbroken.

"Bella, what´s wrong? Are you hurt anywhe-"

"Why did you do this?! You said that _I _was going to regret it, but why did you take it out on Alice's friends?!?! Why didn't you punish me instead of them?!" I cried, feeling how the tears ran down my cheeks. Edward put his arm around me soothingly, hushing me from starting bawling right there, but the sadness and anger didn't disappear. Jake, who had been all cheerful and relaxed before, now sat tensed in his teas, shaking with anger.

"What are you talking about, Bella? I haven't killed someone in at least 50 years! These people that you speak of; I've never heard of them!" He exclaimed desperately, and looked at the skeptical Julie with panicking eyes. She ignored him, and looked at me instead.

"Can you please explain what you are talking about?" She said in that calm but firm voice, and I took a deep breath so I could speak, wiping away my tears with my hands.

"This Saturday, Edward and I went on a date. Smith… he followed us, and didn't like that we had. We talked together later that night, and when I said that I loved Edward, he became angry. So angry I thought I was going to get killed, but luckily for me, Jake came in the very last minute. Smith left with saying: _'You're going to regret this'._ I didn't see or hear anything from him the rest of the weekend." I explained in a quiet voice, looking down at my hands. Alice had grabbed my hand as I talked, and now gripped it firmly in her tiny little hands.

"Are you out of your mind?!" Rick asked with disgust in his voice, glaring at the shocked vampire in the sofa. His brother mimicked his brother, and did the same. I've actually never seen them so angry. Both of them looked like they were ready to kill at any moment now. Their eyes burned with the feverish anger they held inside, and their normally liquid blue eyes became hard like stone.

"I swear I didn't-"Smith began to say, but Mick interrupted the beginning his little speech, hissing his words.

"I think Aro will be _delighted_ when he hears this." There was no kindness in his voice as he spoke

"Yes, delighted indee-"Rick began, but Julie curtly hushed him quiet.

"Enough!" she shot a glare at her sons. "Be quiet! Aro will hear of this, I assure you all he will, but I will only inform him information I know is true." She turned her eyes to Smith, and her expression became cold as the winter. "Did you or did you not say those things to Miss Swan?" she asked him coldly.

"Yes, but-"

"Alright, so you confess that you openly threatened her?" She interrupted him curtly.

"You could say that, but-"he tried to speak again, but she kept on going.

"Did you mean what you said? That you were going to do something to her later as a revenge for her- Smith suddenly let out a furious growl, which made Julie stop talking instantly. Alice tensed beside me, and Edward tightened his grip on me.

"_Will you let me finish_?!" He hissed in a low and dangerous tone, which sent shivers down my spine. The room became deadly quiet, and the only thing you could hear was the sound of our hearts, beating fast in our chests, and our low, rasping breaths.

"I _didn't_ kill those girls. I did follow her and that boy," He said, shooting Edward a glare, and then looked back at Julie. "And I did threaten her if you may call it that, but I haven't killed _anybody_. After I had said that stupid thing, I ran north and thought of how stupid I had acted!" he said, and then looked at Edward again, but this time it wasn't a glare.

"You can read my mind, can't you? You can see through my mind what I did after that! I haven't killed anyone!"He repeated, and looked helplessly at Edward. Julie narrowed her eyes, and raised one eyebrow skeptically.

"What do you see, Edward?" she asked him, and he sighed.

"His thoughts are as he says, but that doesn't mean they're true."He said which made Mr. Smith hiss, but Julie shushed him and gestured for Edward to continue. "You can always make up things with your mind, everything you think aren't always true. I only read thoughts; I can't judge what's true or false." He continued, and Julie nodded her head slowly as she listened to him.

"Maybe we could give Maggie a call…" Rick murmured, but his mother scoffed.

"That woman wouldn't come here for such a trivial matter." She said dismissingly, and then sighed. "I can't report that Smith has anything to do with your friends disappearing, I'm sorry. There just isn't enough evidence to prove that he did it." She apologized to Alice, who stared back at her heartbrokenly.

"But…but they couldn't have run away by themselves, it just doesn't suit their personalities at all! They wouldn't leave me here alone without saying a word, without saying goodbye…" She trailed off, and then threw her tiny arms around me and cried against my shoulder.

"What?! Mom, you can't do-"Rick and Mick began to babble together in protest, but Julie interrupted them both.

"Yes, I _can_." She sighed deeply, and then looked up at Smith seriously. "Do you have any idea what could've happened to those girls??"

Smith shook his head. "No, I have no clue. Surely, they've just run away together. To immediately think that they've gotten killed is just absurd." He said in a serious tone, and I felt how Alice slightly tensed, but she didn't utter a word. She just continued to cry like there was no tomorrow, and I slowly patted her back like a mother comforting her child when it has tumbled and fallen to the ground.

Julie looked from my face to Alice, her lips in a tight line and her eyes slightly narrowed. Then she shook her head and sighed.

"Edward, Bella, Alice; it was a pleasure having you here, but I think it's time for you to go now." She said in a nice tone, and gave me a halfhearted smile. I stared at her in confusion, not believing her words. Leave? But we hadn't heard anything from Smith yet, and we hadn't even started to discuss anything about those dead bodies! If Smith told the truth when he said that he didn't have anything to do with those dead bodies, it meant that another vampire was here, or we had a mentally disturbed murderer on our hands. Either way, we had to talk about it.

"What?" I exclaimed in confusion and slightly rage, and was just about to rant about all the reasons why we should stay, Edward removed his arm around me, and rose from his seat.

"Thanks for having us; it was really nice of you to let us participate." He said in a calm, polite voice, gave her a small smile. Then he turned to me, and stretched out a hand towards me.

"Come on Bella, it's time for us to go." He said, but this time I noticed something beneath the calm façade. Desperation showed in his deep green eyes but his face was serious.

"Ah…Alright." I said, and began to stand up, bringing Alice with me as I did. She rose too on her shaky legs and then let go of me to wipe her eyes, but new tears kept coming so she gave up, and just dropped her hands to her sides.

"Sarah can show you to the door." Julie said, and then called after her maid. The young woman appeared in the door and she looked at Julie with curious eyes. Her features reminded me of a child, and when she spoke her voice was very light and childish. She spoke fast in a low tone and Julie nodded, and then replied swiftly to her, still in French. Then she turned her head to us, and gave us a small smile.

"Goodbye now, I hope you got some of the information you wanted." She said, and I nodded slightly.

"Bye." I shortly replied, and then followed Edward to the door.

"Please visit again!" The twins called after us, and I looked over my shoulder to give them a small smile.

"Please come this way."The maid called Sarah said with a heavy French accent, and began to walk away in the hall in small strides, almost skips, gesturing that we should follow her. Her curly, brown hair was set up in two perfect ponytails on either sides on her head, and they slightly bobbed up and down as she walked. Then suddenly, she looked over her shoulder and scanned us with her icy blue eyes. When our eyes met, she immediately looked back straight ahead. I frowned in confusion at her strange behavior, and looked at Edward for answers, since he could read her mind. He shook his head, and then lowered his head to my ear, his lips slightly touching it.

"I'll tell you later." He said, and then we all continued to walk in silence.

***Later***

We got into the car, and Edward slowly drove away from the large mansion. Alice sat together with me in the backseat, her head lying lump on my shoulder. She had calmed down now, but tears were still running down her cheeks, wetting my shirt.

"What was that maids deal?" I asked after a moment, breaking the silence in the small car. "She was a little creepy…" I added to myself and thought of how she looked at us.

"It wasn't her fault." Edward said with a small smile. "She just wanted to see if we were any threat against them. She's their maid/bodyguard." He said, and my eyes became big as golf balls, risking falling out of my sockets.

"What?"I exclaimed and stared at him as he quietly laughed at my reaction. I thought back at the young woman with that childish face and high-pitched voice, and wondered how in the world she was going to defend them is a threat came. She was going to become beaten to a pulp if someone came and tried to do something against them. "But she…she's so-"I began, but he interrupted me.

"Don't be fooled by her size. That girl knows all kinds martial arts, and could kick Emmet's ass in one second if he even tried to touch her." He said, and the information he gave me amazed me.

"How do you even know all this? Did you get all that by just reading her mind?" I asked, and he nodded as he made a small turn.

"She thought about it when we had the meeting." He answered simply, and I just shook my head in wonder.

"You're freakishly amazing…" I mumbled, and he chuckled.

"Well thank you, I love you too." He said sarcastically, and I gave him a small glare.

"You know I love you." I said, feeling how my cheeks slightly heated. Edward's smile grew, and he turned around to meet my eyes.

"Yes, and I love you."He said again, and I would've been really touched if he wasn't driving a car without watching the road.

"Watch the road!" I commanded in slightly panic, and he chuckled, but did what he was told. Suddenly, Alice spoke rose in her seat, and cleared her throat. She wiped her eyes, and took a few deep breaths.

"Are you-"I began to ask, but she answered before the whole question was asked.

"I'm fine." She said, and took another deep breath. Edward's smile disappeared, and the mood once again became gloomy in the car.

"Alice, they could still be alive. You don't know that they've been killed, and besides it's even less likely that Smith killed-"Edward said, but got interrupted by Alice, who already knew what he was going to say.

"I know! I know that, alright?!" she exclaimed in anger, and then sighed and buried her head in her hands. "It's just that…after I saw what he did to Bella…I can't see him like anything else but a monster that wants to kill. And don't tell me he isn't, alright? I don't care that he's a 'veggie' vampire who doesn't drink human blood, he still a vampire and he will always crave blood." She said in a dark voice, and then took another deep breath, and straightened up in her seat.

"I'm sorry I acted the way I did." She said, and looked at me this time.

"Alice, it's alri-"I began to say, but she interrupted me once again like she had before.

"No please, let me finish. I could've handled it much better than I did, and because of me we had to leave early." She said, looking directly into my eyes. "I'm sorry that I just broke down the way I did; I know that they can still be alive and well. But Mr. Smith… I don't trust him. A_t all_. " She said, her face going stern in anger. Then, she looked at Edward, her eyes practically pleading.

Edward sighed up front, and I looked at him in wonder. "Alice, that's a little far-fetched, don't you think?" he said, and I looked at the two siblings in confusion.

"Please! If you two did that I would be able to sleep sound at night. Come on!" she begged him, and I frowned in puzzlement. You _two_?? Was she talking about me and Edward? What did she want us to do?

"Fine, but I won't do it forever. And besides, you have to ask her too." He sighed, and our eyes met in the rearview mirror. I turned my head to Alice, and frowned at her.

"Alice, what are you talking about?" I asked her, and she turned her puppy-eyed gaze to me.

"Bella," She said slowly, looking at me with those hypnotizing eyes. "Please stop going to Mr. Smith's lessons!" She begged, and her request made me speechless. "If you two please just did that…then I wouldn't have to worry that that _monster_ is going to kill you every 5th second." She said, and I stared at her, not believing the words that exited her mouth.

"Wha… are you serious?" I asked, and she nodded quickly. I bit my lip in uncertainty, and looked down at my hands. "He's going to become very mad at me for not going on his lesson." I said quietly.

"_I'm _going to be very mad if you do." She said snappily at me in an angry tone, and then took a deep breath. "Please Bella, for me. It's not like you'll flunk or anything. We'll just arrange so we'll have another teacher, all three of us." She said, and I sighed in defeat. After all that I've put the two of them through today…this was the least I could do for them.

I raised my head, and looked into her yellow-brown eyes. "Fine, I won't go." I said, and she squealed in happiness and hugged me with her tiny arms.

"Thank you so much Bella!" her happy voice made all the previous uncertainty and doubt about the decision I've just made go away in a blink, and I hugged her back whilst smiling slightly.

***At the Cullen's house***

All three of us got out of the car, and began to walk up to the house. It was already dark, and the wind blew coldly at us, which made us hurry inside even faster. Edward opened the door for us, and as he did, we heard an angry voice yelling. I frowned as I stepped inside, and followed the others to the living room where the ruckus was happening. Rose was sitting in the sofa, glaring at Emmet, who was sitting as far away as possible from his girlfriend. Jasper was leaning against the wall, looking slightly annoyed and tired. When he noticed we we're here, he immediately left his spot and walked quickly to Alice's side.

"What's wrong?" were his first words to her, and he caressed her face gently, looking into her eyes. "You're sad…and slightly Mad." He said, and she hugged him tightly to herself, not uttering a word.

"What happened here?" Edward asked Rosalie, slightly ignoring his sister and her boyfriend.

Rosalie sighed angrily, and looked at Edward. "He had this dream this morning that Jasper and I had an affair with each other. Ever since he woke up, he's been ignoring me. He's being crazy! Jasper is my brother for god's sake!" She exclaimed in anger, and Emmet scoffed from where he sat.

"Completely crazy? Yeah right. I'm not the one who was cheating!" he retorted, his voice slightly shaky. Rosalie sighed again, and shook her head to herself.

"See?! He's impossible!" She groaned.

Jasper looked at his best friend, and sighed. "Come on Emmet, can-"he began, but Emmet interrupted him.

"And don't let me get started on you, bro! I thought we were bro's!"

Both Jasper and Rosalie sighed, and then shot him a glare. "It was a dream, Emmet!!!" they two twins yelled at him, which made him flinch.

"But-but still! You two betrayed me!" he exclaimed desperately, and we all sighed. Then suddenly, Esme appeared in the threshold to the kitchen, and her normally smiling, friendly face was twisted in a frown and she glared at the 6 of us.

"What's going on here?!" She scolded disapprovingly.

All of us looked at Emmet, who looked down at his lap. Esme's piercing gaze turned to him, and she put her hands on her hips.

"Emmet."She called, but he didn't answer. Her eyes narrowed, and she tried again, more acid applied in her tone. "_Emmet_." This time he looked up and met her eyes, and we all saw how he flinched.

"What have you done _now_?" she asked, and he sighed in defeat.

"I…I dreamed a dream that Rose cheated on me with Jasper…" he mumbled, and Esme nodded once. Then she turned to Rose, her face becoming more like the one we all knew; the friendly and motherly one.

"Did you cheat on Emmet with your brother, Rosalie?" she asked softly, and Rosalie shook her head.

"No." she curly, but friendly answered Esme, who smiled back at her. Then she turned to Jasper, who still was hugging Alice to his chest.

"Did you cheat on Alice with your sister?"

"No, I didn't." he answered, and then gave Alice a small kiss on the top of her head. Esme nodded, then turned back to her son, and dropped her smile.

"Emmet, apologize to them immediately."She commanded him firmly, and he sighed in defeat. Esme may seem sugar sweet on the outside, but inside, she's a kick-ass mom.

"I'm sorry you guys." He apologized, and Esme smiled. Then she turned to me and Edward, and looked at me.

"Hello Bella, it's nice to see you here. What brings you to us this late hour?" she asked, and I was just about to answer, when Alice did it for me.

"She's staying the night." She said, and gave me a look, challenging me to say anything different. Esme smiled at me, and I nodded, not saying anything.

"Well, I'm okay with it, just as long as you tell your dad." She said. I looked at Alice for an escape, but she ignored my gaze. I sighed, and then took out my cell phone from my pocket and dialed my dad's number. It took a while before he answered, and judging by the sound of his voice, he had been sleeping.

"Huh? Swan's residence."

"It's me, dad." I answered, and it took a few seconds before he understood who 'me' was.

"Ah! Bells! I started to get worried. Where are you?" he asked gruffly.

"I'm at the Cullen's. I'll stay the night if that's okay with you." I said, and a few more seconds passed.

"Sure, alright." He said tiredly, and then yawned.

"You should get back to bed dad, you sound exhausted." I said, worrying a little about him.

"Alright, alright. Take care of yourself Bells, I'll see you tomorrow." He said, and yawned again.

"Okay dad, I will. Bye." I said, and then heard how he hung up on the other line. Alice looked at me with a pleased look, and I sighed. "Yeah, I'll stay the night." I confirmed to the others who didn't have future telling skills.

"That's great!" Esme said in a warm voice, and I couldn't help but to smile when I heard the satisfaction in her words. "Well, you kids should get into bed, it's getting late." She said, and Emmet snickered.

"Yeah, that's right! You kids really should!" he said mockingly, and Esme turned to look at him with one raised eyebrow.

"I was talking about all of you." She said in a stern tone, and he sighed in disappointment.

"Fine. Come on Rose." He said, and the two of them walked together up the stairs. I turned to Edward, and he smiled at me.

"Am I sleeping in your room?" I asked.

Before he could answer, Alice did it for him. "Yes. If you don't want to sleep here on the sofas." She said, and then took Jaspers hand and dragged him towards the stairs.

"I guess we should get to bed too." Edward said and took my hand.

"Yeah." I said, and together we walked up to his room. Once inside, he began to look through his closet. After a small moment, a knock was heard from the door, and Alice came into the room.

"I thought I would come on drop this off." She said, and placed a bundle of clothes on the edge of the bed. I stared at her in terror, remembering the last time she got me a pajamas, and was just about to ask her about it when both she and Edward began to laugh, both of them already knowing what I was going to say.

"Don't worry, it's just a t-shirt with some sweatpants." She giggled, and then turned and walked out of the room. Once she was out, I quickly half ran to the bundle of clothes, and reassured that she was telling the truth. But just as she had said, in the small package there only were a t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants.

"I'll be right back." I said as I took the clothes in my arms, and walked to the bathroom. After I had changed, I came out and found Edward in the middle of making the sofa ready for me to sleep on. I don't know how it happened, but suddenly it just felt stupid that we were going to sleep in two different beds.

"Edward…" I mumbled, feeling how my cheeks burned. He stopped what he was doing, and looked at me.

"What is it?" he asked, and I took a deep breath before answering.

"Can…can I sleep in your bed tonight?" I asked, and it took a few seconds for him to answer.

"Sure, I can take the sofa, it's okay." he said, misunderstanding what I was trying to tell him.

"No. What I mean is… can I sleep in your bed…together with you." I said, feeling how my cheeks flamed in embarrassment. "I don't mean _sleep_ _with_ you but-"I quickly began to explain, hearing the misunderstanding in my words, but he just laughed at me.

"Sure, it's okay. I understand." He said, and then walked over to his large bed. I followed him, and we both crawled down under the sheets. He turned off the lights, and the room became dark as the night.

"Goodnight." He called from his side of the bed, and I yawned.

"Goodnight." I said sleepily, and felt how the fatigue took over and put me to sleep.


	17. Researching

**A/N: I know…you want to hit me, don't you? I'm sorry I haven't updated, I know I'm a bad person. I went on a cruise in the Mediterranean Sea, which was awesome :D But due to that, I wasn't able to update, and I apologize for that. But chapter 17 is here now, so please read and enjoy! **

**Chapter 17: Researching **

**BPOV**

The sound of the alarm clock abruptly woke me up from my pleasant sleep, and I swiftly sat up in my bed and tried to look around, disorientated. My eyes became clouded by black spots, and I fell back in the bed again, my head spinning.

"Are you okay?" A voice asked beside me in the bed, and I let out a small shriek in surprise. Beside me laid Edward, glorious as always with his head propped up on his arm. His green eyes watched me in the slightly dark room, and my mind slowly remembered last night's happenings.

"Sorry if I scared you." He apologized as I slowly sat up in the bed, and rubbed my head in a lost attempt to lose the lightheaded feeling that swarmed over me.

"No, it's okay. I just got a headrush, it's nothing." I told him and took a deep breath, the dizziness refusing to go away. He looked at me worriedly and was surely about to repeat his question when I reassured him in a firm tone.

"No really, I'm fine. You should stop worrying so much." I looked at him and he raised one eyebrow at me.

"Really? Is it wrong to worry about my somewhat clumsy, wonderful yet stubborn girlfriend?" he asked, and I blushed deeply. "Don't you worry about me?" He asked, and I looked down on my hands.

"That's not the same thing." I mumbled and he laughed at me. He stretched out his free hand and stroked my cheek gently, which made me look up from my fumbling hands into his eyes. I stared into the depths of his eyes and considered downing in them forever, never looking away from his marvelous gaze. He stared back warmly, and gave me a blissful smile. Then suddenly, the door burst open and Alice entered with a smile on her pixie-like face.

"Hello love birdies." She greeted us, and skipped to the edge of the bed where she made a small jump to the bed and landed in a seating position. In the door, Jasper appeared who had most likely followed his cheerful girlfriend to Edward's room. He gave us a small smile, but stayed in the threshold. Alice looked from my face to Edward's, and a satisfied smile crept on her lips, her eyes beaming with joy.

"Esme is making breakfast. If you don't want Emmet to eat all of it, I suggest you get dressed and get downstairs."She told us, and then jumped off the bed and rejoined with Jasper in the threshold. Just before she closed the door the whole way, her tiny head piped in and she grinned slyly at us.

"See you there." She said, gave us a wink and then closed the door. We both heard how she skipped through the hallway, her light steps together with Jaspers slower one. They soon died out, and I looked back at Edward who was staring at me.

"She's right. If we don't hurry, we'll be late for school." He said with a sigh, and then got out of the bed and walked to his closet. "You can use the bathroom if you'd like." He said, and I gratefully thanked him and quickly disappeared into the bathroom with my clothes. I took the liberty of taking a shower, and as the hot water connected with my skin, I thought about last night. The meeting all together had been both a huge success and a failure. Since Alice had broken down in the middle of it, we were all asked to leave. But I guess that was for the best. I don't think neither I nor Alice would've wanted to hear the gory details of the 4 dead bodies they had found in the forests around the town. But the positive was that we got all that information about the Volturi and Julie. Smith's information was good to, but I couldn't tell if he had lied or not. And speaking of Smith… I had promised Alice I wasn't going to go to his lessons anymore. I wonder how long this plan will actually work, considering how fond he was of me. When he will notice that I'm starting to skip all his lessons, he won't be too happy.

I turned off the water, knowing I had to get out of there at some point, and as quickly as possible dressed. Once outside, I walked over to Edward who stood patiently by the bed and waited for me.

"You ready?"He asked and I nodded whilst smiling friendly at him.

"Let's go."

***Later***

"Thank you so much for the breakfast Esme, it was delicious." I thanked her as she took our plates from the table and disappeared into the kitchen.

"I'm glad you liked it, sweetie."She called back from the kitchen and I heard how she turned on the tap water and began to scrub them in the sink. Alice _had_ been right about that we both had to hurry if we wanted some food or not. When we reached the dining room, Emmet was already in the middle of wolfing down all the food Esme had prepared. Both Edward and I hurried to eat ourselves full before it was all gone. Emmet sat in his chair and smiled satisfied in his seat, and sighed happily.

"That was some good food, mom." He told his mother as he slowly rose from his seat, Rose following his example, and you could hear how Esme laughed in the kitchen. Edward stood too, and I was about to follow him when Alice placed a hand on my shoulder and pushed me back down in my seat. I looked at her with a confused frown on my face, but she dismissed it and looked at her brother, who looked just as confused as I felt.

"Alice, what are you-"He began to ask, but she interrupted his question we both wanted answered, and began to speak herself.

"Bella's not going anywhere." She said and almost possessively, and stood up behind my chair and laid her arms around my neck, smirking at Edward. His face went from confusion to recognition in one second, and he raised one eyebrow at her.

"Really?" he asked skeptically, and she glared back at her brother. I looked around the room and then cleared my throat nervously.

"Eh, guys? What's going on?" I asked, being the only one in the room who didn't have psychic/mind reading powers. Edward shrugged and at his sister, shaking his head in amusement and slight irritation, and then turned his gaze towards me.

"I'm sorry, but there's nothing I can do." He said, and then he left the room without another word.

"Edward!" I called desperately; feeling scared not knowing what Alice had planned in her head. She giggled behind me, and let me go so I could look at her clearly.

"Alice, what have you done now?" I asked her, almost like it was an accusation. She pouted sourly, and took my hand and dragged me up from my seat.

"I haven't done anything. You promised me last night you wouldn't go to Smith's lesson, so you won't. You'll stay here with me." she said, and my eyes widened when her words were out of here mouth as I actually _realized what she said_. Smith. I had Smith as my first lesson; Alice knew that, so she was going to keep me here until my next class came, which would be Smith free.

"So, you're saying you'll stay here with me until my first lesson is over?" I asked, and she shook her head.

"Nope, I will keep you here until your first two lessons are over."She said, and I stared at her in sheer confusion. She giggled, and then began to drag me towards the living room.

"I'll have to skip my lesson with Smith too, which will be the one that's right after yours."She said like it was the most obvious thing in the world, and then stopped in her steps as Edward, Jasper, Rose and Emmet came down the stairs. Alice immediately let go of my hand and ran towards Jasper and gave him a big hug, throwing herself into his arms. He laughed softly and ruffled her short hair, which made her complain. The others just smiled, watching the so different yet perfect couple.

"I guess we better get going." Emmet said to Rose, and they both began to walk towards the door, when Emmet suddenly stopped and turned around, grinning towards me.

"Hey, I have a game this Saturday, want to come?" he asked hopefully as he stared at us.

Alice scoffed."That's not possible, we have to have Bella's birthday party then." She said.

"What?" Both Emmet and I exclaimed, him in disappointment and me in horror.

"Yeah!" She said, and then she looked at me, her expression growing tired. "Have you already forgotten? It's your birthday tomorrow! I know you wouldn't want to have the 'official' party on your actual birthday, so I figured that we'd have it the day after it, which means that football game is absolutely, strictly forbidden to go to." She said, looking at Emmet this time. I didn't hear her last words; I was too busy thinking about what she had told me before. My birthday, the day I dreaded coming each year. Was it really the 13ht of September tomorrow? I had known it was my birthday this Friday a week ago, but then all these problematic things started to happen, and I totally forgot about it…

"Come on! Are you serious?" Emmet exclaimed, glaring at his little sister who stood beside his best friend.

"Yes, I'm serious! You'll just have to forget that game, because you'll have to be here!" She retorted, her eyes flashing with anger. Emmet let go of Rose's hand and began to walk towards Alice with long, angry strides, and then stopped and looked down at her. Their height differences made it look rather odd, but they continued to glare at each other, screaming insults in each other's faces.

"Hey, guys…"I called, but none of them heard, and they just continued with their ridiculous fight. Rose and Jasper sighed knowingly in defeat since both of them been through this more than a few times before.

I tried again, my voice a little louder this time."Hey, stop it, both of you!" this time, they heard. They stopped with their screaming game, and looked over at me. "I really _don't_ need a party Alice, that's fine. And for Emmet, It would be nice coming to your game." Emmet cheered as Alice glared at me, and Edward just shook his head, not commenting his siblings' childish behaviors, but his face said it all.

"Bella! You're supposed to back me up here!" Alice complained and Emmet ran over to me and lifted me up in the air like I was a toddler and crushed me into his arms and began to spin round and round, laughing his booming laugh as he did.

"You're the best Bellie, I knew I could count on you on this!" he said, and then let me go and placed me on the floor again. My head span and my vision was everything but clear at the moment.

Rose sighed, and then walked over and grabbed her boyfriend's arm rather roughly and began to drag him towards the door, irritation showing on her flawless face. "Come on Emmet, we really have to go if we don't want to be late." Before he could say anything else, they both were out the door and I vaguely heard Rose call goodbye just before the door closed shut. Jasper gave Alice a small kiss on the nose before he left as well, and then it was just the three of us there. Edward came to my side and gave me a gentle hug –well, it was gentle in comparison to Emmet's –and then brought me back so he could look into my eyes.

"I could stay if you want." He offered, but I shook my head, not wanting him to miss any school because of me, even though he had the top grades in every class he had.

"It's okay, I'll be with Alice." I said and glanced over at Alice who at the moment seemed relatively calm. He sighed, and then kissed the top of my head, which made me blush.

"See you later then." He said, grinning his crooked grin at my reaction, and headed out the door before I could respond. Alice giggled, and then came to stand beside me.

"Come on, we have to start now or it won't be finished for school." Her words made me freeze in my actions, and I looked at her in horror, fearing she had planned another makeover.

"Exactly _what_ won't be finished for school?" I asked, fearing the answer as much as she desired it.

She grinned a blissful yet sly smile before she answered. "The movie of course."

***Later***

"Is this really necessary?"I asked as Alice typed on her laptop, the movie _Dracula_ playing in the background."I have already told you all I know, and as far as I know, he _has_ no weakness." She scoffed at my answer, thinking I was ridiculous.

"He could've had lied, you know that. Would _you_ tell someone who hates you the only possible ways to kill you? Of course he would lie to you." She said, and I sighed, knowing that her decision wouldn't change. Her decision was rather silly if you ask me, but she was determined to do it. She wanted to research about vampires and try to find any weakness against it. I had told her numerous times that Smith had told me that they didn't have any, but she ignored me, and continued her search. She decided to put on _Dracula_, and told me that if I wasn't going to do anything good, I might as well just watch the movie and tell her if I saw anything that might help us.

"Hey, check this out." She said after a few minutes of silence, the movie the only sound we could hear. She gave me the computer and I read the small line where she held her finger.

_**Stregoni Benefici**__  
An Italian vampire, said to be on the side of goodness, and a mortal enemy of all evil vampires._

That…that sounded awfully much like the Volturi…

"You see the connection to the Volturi, right? I noticed it too. There's tons of different types of vampires listed on this site, showing their origins and their abilities." She told me excitedly, and I nodded, looking at the other types listed beneath it.

"Have you found anything that can protect us from vampires?" I asked, and she grinned, taking the laptop away from me and began to click through all of her documents on the screen until she found the one she was searching for.

"I'm glad you asked. Well, there's the famous and obvious ones; staking them, pouring holy water over them, exposing them to sunlight-"

I interrupted her before she could continue. "I have already tried the sunlight thing; didn't work. He just began to sparkle. And I've also tested bringing an onion to school, but he followed me anyways." I told her. Suddenly, she began to laugh like a maniac, and I stared at her with a frown on my face. Why is she laughing? Was it something I said…?

"What is it?" I asked, and she stopped laughing and looked at me, a smile still playing on her lips.

"Bella, it's supposed to be _garlic_, not onions!" she said, and then began to laugh uncontrollably again. I blushed furiously, and looked away from her, watching the movie. On the screen, a man whose face was twisted in a mask of horror was bitten by one of the vampires. The vampire bit hard and blood gushed out of the man's neck, which the vampire drank with pleasure.

I wrinkled my nose in disgust, and tried not to remember the horrible smell of it, looking away in a lost attempt to make the knot in my stomach go away. Alice, who sat beside me had now stopped searching on her laptop, and watched the movie on the TV screen with a dazed expression. Her eyes were wide open, and they watched as the vampire on the screen continued to drink from the helpless human. Her lips were slightly parted, and I immediately began to worry if she was going to have another breakdown again, and was just about to place a hand on her arm when she shot out of her seat. Her sudden move made me jump in surprise, and she began to walk away from the sofa towards the kitchen.

I saw how she licked her lips before she spoke in an almost strangled voice: "I'll be right back."

"Are you okay?" I asked, and I heard how she opened the fridge in the kitchen, smashing the door shut.

"Yeah, I just need something to drink." She said, and after a few minutes, she returned. She was smiling at me, and I sincerely hoped that she was really okay, that it wasn't just a façade so I would stop worrying about her. She grabbed the remote from the sofa and turned the TV off.

"We better get going to school now, otherwise we'll be late."

***In Alice's car on their way to school***

"Here, take this." Alice said as she drove away from her house, giving me a small necklace. It was all gold, and in the end of it a small cross hung. I looked over at her raised an eyebrow skeptically. She grinned at my reaction, and showed me hers, identical to mine as it hung across her neck.

I sighed, and looked at it again. "Will I get away if I try to ignore to wear it?" I asked, already knowing I've lost.

"Nope." She said happily, popping on the 'p'. I sighed once again, and put it on, shivering slightly as the cold, small chain connected with my skin.

"You're impossible…" I murmured as I took my bag and began to look for my cell phone in it. She laughed at my words, and then shook her head.

"Not impossible, just very, _very_ careful."

I took out my cell phone and checked if I had any missed calls, and got quite surprised when I had one. I didn't recognize the number at all, and wondered who it could be.

"Hey Bambi, it's Rick. Sorry about mom yesterday, but your friend didn't really look like she could handle any more of it. We discussed lot of things yesterday, and we all thinks it's best if the three of you stay when school's over, so we'll have a talk. And also, don't ask how I got your number. See you at Math!" Rick spoke, and then the message ended. It _did_ bewilder me how he had gotten my number, but I decided to let it go for the moment. The only thing that mattered was that we were going to find out the rest of the details from the meeting.

After a few more minutes of driving, we arrived to school. The parking lot was –of course –empty of students, and Alice smoothly parked her car in one of the empty slots, and turned it off.

"Let's go before we'll get _really_ late." Alice said, and grinned at me, and both of us hurried into the building and walked to our classes. Mine was geography, which had started 5 minutes ago, and I walked –running would only make me trip and fall – in a fast phase to my locker and grabbed my books and then went to Mrs. Allison's class in a rush.

I blushed in embarrassment when I entered the dead quiet room, and walked to my seat quickly, muttering "Sorry I'm late" to Mrs. Allison, who glared at me angrily. I took my seat beside the twins, who both grinned at me as I sat down.

"You're late Bambi." Mick said teasingly as I opened my books and began to read the pages that stood on the board.

"I overslept." I lied in a mumble, and they both snickered at me.

"I hope you got my message." Rick said and I nodded.

"Yeah, I did." I was just about to ask something when Mrs. Allison cleared her throat, and when I looked up, she glared icily at me.

"Miss Swan, if you and the Lewis brother's have something very important to discuss, I suggest you take that out in the hall." Her eyes pierced into mine, and I blushed.

"No, Mrs. Allison." I answered in a low tone.

"Good." She said, and then she began to ask question all around in the class.

***After the lesson***

"But seriously, where were you guys?" Rick pressed as we walked out of the classroom, and I shook my head.

"I'm not going to tell you." I said, and they groaned and began to complain how boring I was. I ignored them, and was just about to excuse myself from them when I heard a familiar voice calling my name down the corridor.

"Bella!" Edward's timing couldn't be better. I turned around, and smiled as I saw him coming towards us. Rick and Mick beside me whispered some things, and I saw how Edward's smile turned into a frown.

"Hey, wait a minu-"Edward began to call, but it was too late. Rick whistled and called over the large group of girls that was coming towards us from the other way.

"Hey girls, Eddie here just told us how much he wanted to talk to you all." Mick said, and they all looked at each other, giggling and smiling, and then began to half run over to Edward, who became surrounded by them. Rick and Mick snickered, and I glared at them.

"Hey, cut it out!" I said and was just about to walk over to Edward when both of them grabbed both of my wrists and began to lead me towards the cafeteria.

"Stop it!" I complained, and tried to break through their hold. They shook their heads and continued to walk, ignoring my wish.

"If you go over there alone, those girls would eat you alive. You don't get very loved when you snatch the most popular guy in the school, except for us that is." Mick said, and I sighed.

"Then why did you send all those girls on him in the first place?" I snapped at him, and they both grinned.

"Because it's fun." They both said with a shrug, and I sighed.

Once we were inside the cafeteria, they led me towards one of the tables and we all sat down, both of them letting go of my wrists in the progress. As soon as I was free from them, I jumped to the chair placed as far away as possible from both of them, and they laughed at me. I looked at the entrance of the cafeteria, and I sighed gratefully when I saw both Edward and Alice appear. They both saw me, and came towards us, Edward giving both Rick and Mick a glare of pure hate.

"That was hardly necessary." He hissed as he sat down next to me, and they just laughed at him. Then they both quieted down, and their expressions became serious.

"I know you all want to know everything that was said on the meeting last night after you left," Mick said, looking into all of our faces, his voice barely heard over all the chattering in the room. "And I assure you that you will, but for the moment, we only have one very important detail to tell you."

"If some of you would've been here this morning instead of skipping Smith's classes, you would've known that he's not here." Rick said. I stared at him in slight surprise. Smith was almost never gone from school, only when the sun shone.

"He's out in the forest, searching for trails." He continued, looking gravely into our eyes, and his next words shocked me utterly. "We think there's another vampire in town."

**Playlist: California – Phantom Planet**


	18. Vampire visit

**A/N: Hello everybody! Hope you had an awesome weekend, I know I did. Summer vacation in coming soon and even though I live in Sweden, the weather is getting warmer here too (well, for being Sweden, it's warm). I hope you will enjoy this week's chapter :D**

**Chapter 18: Vampire visit **

**BPOV**

"You…what?" I exclaimed a little bit too loud, which made the people sitting at the tables around us to turn. I immediately blushed, and Rick shook his head.

"As we said, we will tell you about everything after school; doing it here would be too risky." He said in a serious tone, and then in one blank second went back to his old, happy self, and started a conversation with the others at the table. I hardly heard what they talked about; I was too lost in thought to notice. Another vampire in forks… I had thought about this alternative before, but I never really considered it that much… but what was it doing here? Was it just passing through or did it have plans to stay?

"Bella!" the sound of my voice made me flinch, and I came back to reality. The twins, who had called my name, stared at me and I blushed in embarrassment.

"I'm sorry, I was lost in thought" I confessed, and they sighed.

"We _said_," Both of them said together with an annoyed look on both of their faces. "Did you hear what the janitor did when you were gone?" Both of the twins laughed. Our conversation continued like that, talking about rumors heard around the school, and confirming if they were real or not. Eventually, the bell rang, and the 5 of us began to exit the now empty cafeteria to get to our classes.

"After school, come to Smith's classroom, and we'll explain it all." The twins told us before we parted, and then they rounded the corner, calling goodbye over their shoulders as they went.

"I guess we should get to our classes now." Alice said, stating the obvious in the nearly empty corridor, and Edward and I agreed.

"Yeah." I agreed, and then, out of nowhere, got attacked by Alice. She hugged me with all her force, which was pretty much for being such a pixie-like creature like her.

"Can't. Breathe!" I exclaimed breathlessly, and she quickly let me go, smiling sheepishly.

"Sorry, you just looked so cute I couldn't resist." She said with a wink, and then parted from us as well, skipping through the hall humming on a bright melody. Edward rolled his eyes at his supposedly older sister, and then sighed. I stared after her in wonder, and then looked over at Edward with a frown on my face.

"What did she think about?" I asked as we walked to biology with our books in a rush.

He shrugged. "Various things. Planning your birthday party, kidnapping us on another date. The usual."

My jaw dropped when I heard the words 'birthday party' put together, and I stared at him in horror.

"Birthday party? But I specifically told her I absolutely didn't want one!" He laughed at my terror filled reaction, and then raised one eye brow at me skeptically.

"Did you really think she would listen to you?" his words had a point, and I sighed in defeat.

"I guess you're right." Then both of us quickly slipped through the open door to our class, and found our seats. Biology started a few minutes after we entered, and if Edward hadn't been there I am sure I would've fallen asleep. Mr. Banner chatted on through the whole lesson like he always did, and his subject was hardly interesting. We watched a short movie in the end and in the darkness when nobody saw I leaned against Edward's shoulder and yawned tiredly. He quietly chuckled at me, but allowed me to do so, and stroked my hair gently. I slumbered into a half dazed sleep in the end, but as soon as the lights came on, I was alert and awake. Mr. Banner dismissed us, and all of us exited the room like a group of zombies, all of us tired from Mr. Banner's tiring lecture. I groaned when I remembered I had P.E., and parted from Edward in a sour mood, dreading for what was going to come.

I walked to the gymnasium together with Mike and Tyler, who despite their differences were great friends. Mike had seemed to have learned this past month after the camp how to act like a friend, despite his low IQ and now they were best buddies. At least, that was how Mike saw it. Tyler didn't really seem to care if they were friends or not, he had others to be with if he wanted to. But you could see that he enjoyed Mike's company somewhat.

"Such a shame James and Victoria moved." Tyler noted as we walked through the cold air. I nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, it really was. I heard that they moved to James's uncle." I told him, sharing the information I had gotten from…from Mia and Liz, the famous runaways.

"I heard that too! James was moving to his uncle Laurent up in Alaska, and Victoria wanted to come with him so they both moved." He said, and I was quite shocked when I heard that my previous home state was involved, but didn't give that much thought to it. We continued our conversation until we reached the gymnasium, receiving some idiotic comments from Mike on the way, and then parted as we went to our locker rooms.

Gym was a pain in the as (like always), and I managed to hurt not only me, but everyone around me as well. I tried to stay out of everyone's way as much as possible, and not participate if I had the opportunity, and no one complained. Eventually, it all ended, and I walked back to the locker room gratefully. I changed back to my original clothes as fast as possible and made my way over to Smith's classroom. The small golden cross that hung around my neck had sneaked its way out from my shirt, and now dangled free around in the air. I caught it as it swung, and felt it between my fingers. I knew Alice meant the best when she gave me this, but honestly, I didn't think it was going to work. But on the other hand, if this silly thing makes her feel safe, why not do it for her?

I stepped inside the now very empty school, and began to walk towards Smith's classroom when I met Alice, who also had ended all her classes.

"_Finally_!" she exclaimed, like she had waited there for me forever, and linked her arm with mine and together we walked to the classroom. "I had a vision of you about 20 minutes ago, that you would walk in here just this second, but waiting was really dull, especially when I've already seen you walk through there once." She complained, and I chuckled at her pouting face.

"Well, I'm sorry that I made you impatient." I said, but then she laughed.

"It's alright; I found plenty of things to entertain myself with when you were gone." She said, and I spotted a sly grin that began to creep upon her lips. "Which reminds me; when are you going to go on a second date with Edward?" she asked, and my mood instantly puckered.

"Whenever I want to." I answered sourly, and she groaned in irritation.

"Don't give me that Bella; you know I have a point! You've only been on _one_ single date for crying out loud!" She exclaimed, and I rolled my eyes at her, sighing. Sometimes, she could be sweet as an angel, but right now she was the devil herself in disguise…

I didn't answer her after that, and we continued the small walk in silence until we reached the classroom. I opened the door and found, to my surprise, all the others there. Smith was sitting on his desk with a thoughtful expression on his face, the twins were leaning against the wall, talking to each other and Edward was standing with his arms crossed in the middle of the room, looking directly. All of them (except Edward, who was already faced towards us) looked at us as we opened the door. Edward's face relaxed a little once our eyes met, and I gave him a small smile. Then, something happened that I never thought would. Smith, who stood up from his desk as soon as we walked in, began to cough violently, and grimaced in disgust towards us. He ran towards the windows and opened them, and took a deep breath. All of us stared at him like he was crazy…well, more crazy than he already was, and wondered what on earth he was doing.

He turned to us, his face still twisted in that same grimace. "What is that horrible smell?" he exclaimed, and I heard how Alice laughed beside me. I looked over at her, and saw how content she looked, seeing him like that.

"You mean this?" She asked with a sly grin on her face, and stretched her hand down in her bag and brought up two bulbs of garlic with her hand. Smith made a gagging sound, and turned back to the window, breathing deeply.

"Get rid of that!" He screamed back at her, and she laughed, being in total control for the moment. The twins laughed like maniacs from where they stood, finding the whole scenario hilarious.

"If you say so." She said with a grin, and tossed it in the dustbin. Then suddenly, Smith seemed to disappear, and then he reappeared at the dustbin, taking the bulb of garlic in his hand, and then threw it out of the window with such a force that someone would've been seriously hurt if they were hit by it. Smith began to wave his hands around, like he could make the bad smell go away just by waving around in the air, and then turned around and glared at Alice.

"So you've seemed to understand that I have a sensitive nose, congratulation. I'd rather appreciate that you didn't bring such a disgusting smelling vegetable here." He hissed at her, and she shrugged.

"I guess I'll try that next time." She said with a carefree expression, and I saw how Smith's face darkened.

"That wasn't a request."

The twins interfered now, and placed themselves between the two of them. "There there, take it easy tiger; we're not here to fight." Mick told Smith; reminding him of his original purpose. He continued to glare a few seconds, and then gave up with a sigh, and returned to his seat on his desk. Alice looked very pleased with herself, since her little test had worked, and smiled giddily to herself.

Smith sighed once again, and then began to speak. "I'm glad that all of you could come," He began, even though he looked anything but _glad_. "And I apologize for my rude behavior just now. As you may know, I was away this morning, searching for trails after the other vampire. After you left the other night, we continued to discuss the possibility that another vampire killed all those people. Turns out, we we're right. I've been searching for another vampire's smell since that night, and I found four of them." He told us, looked around the room seriously. Alice's victorious smile had faded away, and we all looked at him gravely.

"This isn't just some vampire's that are passing through town. They have a goal, a purpose. There is something in this town that they want. All four of them have been sneaking around town, like they've been searching for something."

"Do you know what they want?" Alice asked; her voice surprisingly steady. Smith shook his head.

"No, not yet." He looked back at Alice now, and spoke in a firm tone. "I was wondering if you could help me with that." Alice's shock was not alone. The rest of us (except for Edward, who's already seen his thoughts, and knew exactly what he was planning) stared in confusion, and wondered what he had meant.

"Me? What could I possibly do to figure that out?"

"You have the ability to see the future judging by others decisions. If you can try to look after them and their decision, you can also find out who they are and what they want." His plan didn't seem to be that bad. Actually, it was pretty good.

Alice's eyes alit with realization and she smiled a pleased smile. "I may hate your guts, but that plan was actually pretty bad-ass."She said with a grin, and he grinned back.

"If I look hard enough, I am sure I will find them. Since they're vampires, I at least know who to look for." She said with a satisfied smile, and tugged my arm a little bit closer to her.

Smith smiled too, but then turned serious again, with a frown on his face. "Anyways, with all this going on, I suggest that all of you stay inside for the time being and don't go on some crazy hiking event." He said, looking directly into my eyes. I nodded slightly, reassuring him I wasn't going out in the woods, and his face seemed to relax somewhat.

"My mom is going to contact the volturi about this, and they'll probably send down some people of the guard to help us." Rick said and Mick nodded in agreement.

"Yeah. It'll probably take a day or two, but they'll be here; they love her too much to ignore her." He said, and then his face puckered into a discomforted grimace. "I _really_ hope they won't send Jane; she's still pissed about what happened last time…"He muttered, and Edward, who had heard his thoughts, laughed to himself.

Smith sighed, and then stood up. "That was all we had to say to you. I suggest you go home now." He then left the room without another word, leaving the door open behind him.

Rick and Mick stood up straight too, and Rick yawned. "He's right, we should probably get home before it gets too dark outside. Other vampires beside the volturi thinks the light is uncomfortable, even if it's cloudy, so it's best if we get home before the sun goes down." They said, and began to walk past us.

"See you Bambi, tomorrow will be interesting." Mick said, and he and Rick laughed together, and then they left as well, not saying goodbye to the others. Edward came to my side and together the three of us walked out together. As we reached the parking lot, we parted, since Edward and Alice both had cars they needed to drive home, and I silently followed Edward to his Volvo. We got inside, and he started his shiny vehicle. Soft music played in the background as we drove away from the school, and I leaned back in his comfortable leather seats, and closed my eyes.

"Are you okay?" he asked as he drove, and I nodded.

"Yeah, just a little tired, that's all." I confessed, and then unwillingly yawned. He laughed at me, and I opened one eyelid so I could glare at him. I sighed, and then opened my eyes and looked out into the dark forest.

"What do you think they want?" I asked, knowing he would understand that I was talking about the vampires. It took a few seconds before he responded, but it wasn't an answer.

"Are you scared?" he asked, and I knew he wouldn't believe me if I lied, so I stuck with telling the truth.

"Yes." I told him, still looking out the window. I couldn't deny it; it was scary knowing that someone I knew and loved _could_ get hurt because of these sick vampires. Suddenly, I felt a hand on my knee, soothingly rubbing it.

"It's alright Bella, they won't ever hurt you." He tried to sooth me, like I was scared for _my_ life, not his. I scoffed at his ridiculous conclusion.

"I'm not scared for my life; I'm scared for yours." I told him, and his hands stopped rub my knee.

"_My _life."He repeated in a bitter tone. "Do you value your life at all?" He asked concerned, and I turned my head to him

"Of course I do, but I value yours much more. It's a miracle that you even want to be with me." I confessed truthfully, and he laughed once without humor.

"You're wrong. It's a miracle that _you_ want to be with _me_. You have _no_ idea how many men around you that want you like I do." His words made me blush, and I saw how he grinned slightly.

"You're lying."

He laughed again, this time in sheer amusement. "Really? Do you want me to tell you who they are? It's quite a long list if I may say so myself." I shook my head in horror, now understanding that he was completely serious, and he smiled his crooked smile.

"I could do the same, but those people as pretty obvious." I said, thinking of Lauren and Jessica. He shook his head as well.

"No, that's alright. No matter what they think or care, I still love you." He said, and my heart jumped inside my chest of joy.

"I love you too." I murmured, loud enough so he could hear it, and blushed furiously. He lifted his hand from my knee and stroked my cheek. Our eyes met, and I smiled back at his glorious face. He smiled too, and then looked back to the road, and drove the last part to my home in silence. When we reached my house, I thanked him for the ride, and stepped out.

"See you tomorrow Bella, I'll be here in the morning." He promised me before he drove off. I smiled to myself as I walked inside, and began to prepare dinner to me and Charlie.

***After dinner***

"That was delicious Bells; I don't know how I ever would survive without your great cooking." Charlie told me after dinner when I stood and scrubbed the plates in the sink, and I thanked him. He went back to the TV where the game was playing, and I continued with the dishes. When I was done, the drowsiness from earlier of the day hit me hard, and I began to prepare for bed. The long and hot shower made my tense muscles relax, and when I was changed into my PJ's and ready for bed, I was almost half asleep already. I was before my head could hit the pillow, and I was dragged into a dreamless sleep.

***Later***

I suddenly woke up, and it didn't feel like I had slept at all. The darkness in the room told me that it was probably late in the night, and I confirmed that statement when I glanced towards the clock, which showed 2:30. I groaned, and sat up groggily in bed, wiping my eyes. Then, a sudden shadow was cast in the room. I frowned in confusion, and then looked towards the window, when I saw something horrible.

In the window was a pale skinned beast, his dark eyes watching me.

**A/N: Sorry about the cliffy, it was pretty mean I know. I hope you liked it, please review! /RF**


	19. Revenge

**Chapter 19: Revenge **

**BPOV**

My blood froze to ice as I stared wide eyed at the red eyed beast. He made a teeth baring grimace, hissing in the progress, and scratched one nail on the glass, making it screech. The moonlight shone brightly outside, and it helped me seeing some details of his beautiful yet terrifying face. He looked young, not many years older than me. His sandy blond hair was shortly cut and his ghost pale skin made his brightly red eyes clearly visible. Two things I knew in this moment were: one, this vampire wasn't Smith, and two, he _definitely_ wanted to kill me.

5 seconds had passed since I had spotted the bloodthirsty vampire in my window, but it had felt like an eternity. Suddenly, my cell phone began to ring, the cheerful melody making me flinch in surprise. The vampire glared at me, and the nail he had on the window began to press harder against it, creating cracks in the old glass window. I was too scared to move an inch, and the staring game continued between me and the angry vampire outside. Eventually, the phone stopped ringing, but a few seconds later it started again. The vampire boy that hung outside growled, and then smashed my window, the cracks he had created exploding into tiny pieces. In very fast movements he proceeded to haul himself through the broken window, flinging his body over the edge of broken glass with perfect grace, and landed with both of his feet inside my room.

My tense muscles refused to move as I sat there in my bed, too frightened to even shout for help. The phone kept ringing like mad in the background, but it was already forgotten by both of us. A cruel smile began to creep on his lips, and shivers of pure fear went down my spine. I knew it now; I was going to die.

"Boss said I wasn't supposed to kill you yet but…" The boy suddenly spoke in a dark tone, trailing off as he took a deep breath through his nose. "You smell _really_ good." He said, and then began to walk closer with me with small steps.

I swallowed hard, and took a deep breath. "W-why me?" I asked, finally finding the strength to speak. He stopped dead in his tracks, and studied me gravely with his now dark eyes.

"He... he speaks of revenge. Why you are the one he wants to kill, I don't know." He said, frowning deeply.

I took another deep breath, tears developing in my eyes. "Who? Who wants to kill me?" I asked, wondering if those words would be my final ones. He took one step closer, making him so close that if I stretched out my hand, I would be able to touch him.

"His name is-"just before he could answer my question, he was being yanked backwards, flying out of the window and crushing the last remaining glass that was whole on his way out. Another shadow entered the room, and I could vaguely see the outline of another man. The other shadow neared me fast in inhuman speed, and caressed my cheek gently. His strange actions surprised me, and when I heard his voice, I understood them completely.

"Are you hurt in any way?" Smith asked, desperately, and it took a few seconds for me to respond.

"I-I'm fine." I gasped. Several questions lingered in my head, and confusion and fear filled my system at the moment. Smith glanced at the still ringing phone on my desk, and in a movement too fast for human eyes to see, grabbed it and tossed over to me, making it land right next to me on the bed.

"You should probably answer that. I have to get after him and make sure he doesn't get away." With those words, he escaped through the window as well, and left me alone in my dark and almost complete quiet room. With shaky hands, I began to reach for my phone. My sight was blurry by all the tears, and I felt how some of them escaped their place and ran down my cheeks. I grabbed the phone and answered, and the second I had, I instantly moved it away from my ear. On the other end, someone was sobbing and screaming very loudly, and it took a while for me to realize that the voice was Alice's and that she was calling my name.

"Bella! Bella, are you alright? I-I wake up and I had this vision about you being killed by this vampire and, and…" she trailed off, and began to bawl again. I frowned since her words made very little sense to me at the moment (well to be honest, anything sounded confusing to me at the time), and then I heard how someone grabbed the phone from her and a new voice greeted me.

"Bella, this is Edward. Are you alright?" he exclaimed in worry, which made my heart warm up and my tense muscles relax. Hearing his voice was the antidote to absolute any

"I-I'm fine." I said, my voice cracking. Truth to be told, I was everything _but_ fine. I honestly thought I was going to die. If it wasn't because of Smith…

I shivered of the thought, and took a deep breath.

"I'm coming over." Edward said. My first reaction to his words was happiness and relief, but then it hit me; they could still come back. What if another vampire came? My house was the least safe place at the moment, and having Edward here would make me anything but calm.

"No, absolutely not!" I exclaimed. If Edward came here and got hurt, I would never be able to forgive myself.

"Bella, there is no negotiating to this; I'm coming over." He said in a firm voice, and my panic started to grow.

"But…but no! You can't come here. I'll come to you, but there's no way in hell that you're coming here, not now." I told him in a voice as firm as his had been, and I heard a short silence on the other line.

"Bella I-" he was just about to throw himself into the argument when I heard a gasp from the doorway, and I shrieked in surprise. In the doorway, my dad stood and looked at the crushed window with wide eyes.

"Bella! Is it another vampire?"Edward asked worriedly, and my dad's glaring eyes met mine. I knew I had to answer Edward or he'd come rushing over here, but I couldn't go and say 'no Edward, it's not a vampire, just my dad', not with Charlie here anyways.

"Dad, what are you doing here?" I asked, hoping I had eased Edward's worry at least a little bit. Charlie turned the lights in, which made me groan and narrowed my eyes in discomfort.

"Bella." Was all he said, and after a few seconds when my eyes had adjusted to the bright light, I could see the color of his face. It had turned to a bright red shade, and the veins in his forehead were clearly visibly. His hands were shaking in anger and just looking at him made me wary. Fear that had left my system since I heard Edward's glorious voice returned, and I began to think that the vampires weren't the only deadly threat tonight.

"What happened here?" he said in a low and dangerous voice that trembled in the end of his sentence. Sweat began to develop on my forehead, and I instantly began to look after excuses in my head, but only bad ones were found.

"I…eh…some kid threw a stone through the window so it broke." I lied badly, and I heard how Edward sighed on the other line.

Charlie raised one eyebrow at me skeptically. "Really? In that case, where's the stone?"

I swallowed and answered the first thing that hit my mind. "I threw it back out." I told him, and immediately regretted it.

He sighed and shook his head, and then began to walk over to the window. "The whole window is destroyed; a rock could've never made this much damage." He concluded as he watched the broken window, and then turned back to me. "I have no-"his scolding was interrupted by loudly knocking on the door. Fear filled me, and Charlie frowned.

"Who could that be, at such a time…?" he asked, and then began to walk out of my room.

"Wait dad, don't go!" I yelled after him, and he stopped in my threshold and turned around."What?"

I had no idea what to answer him; the only thing I wanted was for him to stay and not open the door. It could be a vampire out there, and if he went down there, he would get killed. I was just about to answer him when I heard some murmuring on the other line on the phone, and then Edward began to speak swiftly to me. "You don't need to worry, it's not another vampire; it's just the twins." His information surprised me. The twins were outside? Why were they here?

"Bells, what's wrong?" Dad asked, and I instantly remembered I had to answer him.

"I-eh…I'll come with you downstairs." I said, and jumped up from my seat and walked over to my father's side. Together we walked downstairs to the door and the visitor, who was still knocking like crazy on the wooden door. Charlie opened it, and as Edward had said, there they were. Both of them looked rather stressed; their eyes were big and panicky and their expressions were serious and troubled. As soon as they spotted me in the threshold, still holding the cell phone to my ear, they both seemed to relax.

"Who are you and what are you doing here? Do you know what time it is?" Charlie grumbled to the two twins. They answered Charlie without looking away from me.

"I'm Rick," One of them said who claimed to be Rick and his brother continued for him.

"And I'm Mick. We're Bella's classmates." Mick said, and I frowned at them in confusion. Why were they here? Did Alice contact them or was it something else?

"What are you doing here?" I asked, and as I did, I heard some mumbling from Alice in the background on the other line on the phone.

"You have to come quick; it's Julie." Rick said, and more worry hit me. Julie? Had the vampires come to their house too? And if so, how badly was she hurt?

"Julie?" I asked, and he shook his head.

"We don't have time, the more we wait, the more she'll worsen. I'll tell you on the way. She's asking for you." Mick exclaimed, and I looked at my father. His face was rather pale in the bright moonlight, and I placed my only free hand on his shoulder.

"Dad, I have to go. Don't worry about me okay? I'll call you tomorrow." I said, and he nodded. I guess he thought I was visiting some sick friend of something.

"Alright honey, take care." He said, and I quickly put on my shoes and took a small jacket from one of the hangers and put it on. As I began to walk to the car Edward began to speak again.

"They'll take you to their house, I'll meet you there." His information was brief, and then he hung up. I frowned, but decided not to question it. The twins house was way safer than mine. We jumped ito the car and drove off into the night.

"What happened to Julie?" I asked, wondering how bad condition she was in.

Rick scoffed. "She'll live."

I frowned at his rudeness. "You didn't answer my question; what happened to her?"

Mick sighed. "About half an hour ago she got a phone call from the little psychic pixie that you were going to get attacked by vampires and die. She freaked out naturally and woke us up and demanded that we had to drive over to you in the middle of the night."

"Which brings us to you."Rick said. "Are _you_ okay? Did he bite you? Were you hurt physically in any way?" I could hear the clear concern he held for me, and I sighed in relief now that I knew that no one was hurt.

"Yeah I'm fine, he didn't even touch me. If Smith hadn't arrived at the time he did…" I trailed off, and flinched at the thought. Silence hung in the air, and after a while, I heard how Rick sighed.

"We're glad you're okay. You have no idea how much we worried on our way over." He said and then speeded up a little bit more.

"Where did Smith go?" Mick asked.

"He ran after the other vampire in hope that he would catch him before he got away." I answered him, and then took a deep breath. Even though their luxurious car was heated up, my skin was feeling cold all over. My hands were shaking violently, and I had to concentrate not to hyperventilate right there. Mick glanced back at me from his seat and frowned.

"Are you sure you're okay? I know what vampire attacks can do to you." Mick said in a soft voice.

I swallowed before I answered him. "I…I _think_ I'm fine." I knew that I wasn't fine, but telling those two wouldn't get the situation any better.

"Rick and I have had our fair share of vampire squabbles so we know what it's like. We were pretty young when we first got into one of those deadly situations, but I remember that it wasn't pretty. Both of us dreamed nightmares weeks after that." He told me, and I stared into his blue eyes.

"You make it sound like you two have been through a lot of those happenings." I responded, and took several deep breaths. My racing heart slowed down by the minute, and I felt how the panic slipped away.

They both laughed at this and then Rick parked the car in their drive way. "If you only knew…" was their only response, and then we all got out of the car. Their house was shining brightly from the lights inside, and all three of us hurried inside. Once we were inside, we were met by a devastated Julie. Her eyes were red from all the crying, and the second she saw me she rushed over to me and hugged me to her.

"Oh Bella! _Mon chéri_! I was so worried! Are you alright?"She gushed, and I didn't have much of a chance to respond back. "_Oh mon dieu!_ You're shaking! Boys, get her to the living room to the others. I'll ask Sarah to start the fire in the fireplace." She said, and then disappeared into the kitchen. Rick and Mick began to lead me to the living room as their mother had asked them, and I frowned at her words.

"The…_others_? What others?" I asked, and both of them shrugged.

"I have no idea." Both of them said in unison, and as we entered the living room, I instantly understood who she had meant.

In the sofa sat Alice, Edward and Smith, and as we entered all of them seemed to look a little bit calmer.

"Bella!" Alice exclaimed, and rushed over to me before anyone could say anything else. She hugged me tightly to herself, and then led me to the sofa. I got a blanket to put around myself, and when I was just about to disagree and tell them it wasn't necessary, Alice shot me a glare which silenced me before I could utter a word. She hugged my arm to herself tightly and her behavior somewhat reminded me of how she had acted the last time we were at the twins house.

Edward had taken my other hand and squeezed it softly and kissed me on the top of my head. "Are you alright?" he whispered into my ear, and I nodded. I was still a little bit freaked, but as long as I had him by my side, I would be okay.

Julie soon entered the room as well, and in her hand she held a cup of hot coco. She gave it to me with a warm smile and I thanked her quietly. Smith sat in a chair a bit further away from us, and he watched me silently. Julie sat down in the same sofa as the twins with a slightly troubled expression on her face.

"Bella, I need you to tell me what happened this night." She said, and I took a deep breath. Edward squeezed my hand a little harder in support and I squeezed back.

"Well…" I began, unsure where to begin."I woke up in the middle of the night and I saw a strange shadow from the window. When I looked, I saw the vampire. He was rather young, about my age and had short cut sandy blond hair. He hissed at me, and he looked extremely hungry." I told them, remembering as he hung outside my window and hisses at me in anger. "He crushed the window with his finger and then entered my room. He said his boss was going to be angry with him killing me, but he was too hungry to care." I said, remembering what he had said. "I-"I stopped talking and tensed in my seat as I remembered his next words.

Smith frowned. "What did he say? Tell us." He said, and I felt their gazes on me. Julie looked at me with sad eyes, and shook her head.

"Bella, you don't need to tell us, it's alright. We'll wait for you to be ready." She said and tied her long, dark hair into a ponytail. The twins looked at me with sympathetic eyes too, and I shook my head back at her. I had to do this.

"It's alright." I said, and then I sighed. "He told me why the vampires are here in Forks." I said.

"Why then?" Julie pressed and I took a deep breath before answering.

"They seek revenge, and they'll get it by killing me."


	20. Planning to survive the future

**A/N: SORRY! I know it has been a long, **_**long**_** time, and I've been **_**really**_** guilty! Summer vacations started, and I haven't really been able to spend that much time to write. But I finally did, so I wrote two chapters, this one and chapter 21, which is a little longer. I hope you'll like them, even though they came out super late!**

**Disclaimer:  
Rick: SM owns Twilight, but not us, right Mick?  
Mick: Yeah! The one who owns us is that stupid bastard who sucks at updating and forgot about us!  
Rick: Yeah!  
RF: …Sorry :(**

**Chapter 20: Planning to survive the future **

**BPOV**

After that hell broke loose.

Everyone began to shout all at once, and I could hardly make out what any of them said. Smith's face broke into a grimace out of pure rage, and chanted about 'how those bastards deserved to die, all of them'. I had never seen him so angry at someone else besides myself. It showed me the concern he held for me; a desperate fire burning in his eyes, and if the situation hadn't been as twisted as it was for the moment, I would've been …well, happy would be lying, but grateful that he cared for me enough to be that persistent to keep me safe as everyone else in the room. Alice had gasped in horror and asked me how that was possible, why I was the one who needed to be killed for his revenge. To be honest, the same question was spinning crazily around in my head, and like her, I wasn't getting any reasonable answers.

"You haven't even done anything to him! You don't even know who it is!" she had yelled in frustration, and continued to look at me with sad eyes. She was panicking at the moment, and I began to worry about her. Vampire business was anything but good for her. Edward constantly asked me if I was alright, and the twins asked me for more details, everything from his appearance to exact minutes he stayed inside the room until Smith came and rescued me. Their voices' volume rose by the second, and they were all questioned towards me.

_Bella, what did you see? Bella, what are we going to do? Bella, how do you feel?_

_Bella, Bella, Bella…_

All of them talked at once, all of them wanting me to answer, and the effect was anything but pleasing. The large room echoed with their voices, and I was almost surprised how much it sounded in there. I winced in discomfort, not liking how they shouted at each other and at me with almost frantic looks in their eyes. None of them knew what to do now; the whole situation itself was new for all of us. No one of us had ever experienced something like this ever before (Hell, I would be surprised if anyone in the whole world had), and it didn't help that we had no idea who our culprit was or why I had to die for his revenge.

Unsurprisingly, Julie was the only one who stayed calm in the chaotic situation. I stared into her deep blue eyes for help, and she looked back at me with a knowing look. She understood how I felt right now and she also knew how to handle it, which I did not. Straightening up in her seat, she inhaled a good amount of air, and then she began to scold the others with that familiar motherly tone she often used around her boys. She was like the mother I never had. I'm not saying that I don't love Renée and don't recognize her as my mother, but she was most of the time acting more like a child than a parent towards me, like we were sisters and not mother and daughter. Of course, Esme was the mother figure we all looked up to. She was the best mother a child could get, and even though she couldn't get any kids herself, she was still the most understanding, loving yet strict mother I had ever met and looked up to her a lot. I guess she was something in the middle of Julie and Renée; a loving mother who could be strict when she had to.

"_Tout le monde_, be quiet! Everybody shut up! Do you have any sense in those heads of yours? Look at the girl, she's in shock! You can't attack her with questions like she's a freaking dictionary; it doesn't work that way! Let's just calm down and think out a plan." Her stern words got through, and the rest of the group quieted down as quickly as they had begun their ranting. Smith seemed to collect himself somewhat, and let his face which had been twisted in wrath relax and looked at Julie with a stern expression.

Julie turned to me before she spoke, and looked at me sympathetically. "Bella, if you would want, Sarah could lead you to the kitchen so you could get some air. I have a feeling this will get a little…loud." I looked around in the room, meeting the gazes of my loyal friends …and Smith. They all had an understandable look in their eyes saying that they were fine with me leaving for a moment. I looked at Edward, and he squeezed my hand reassuringly.

"I could come with you if you'd like." He offered, and even though the offer actually sounded very, _very_ tempting, I shook my head, and rose from my seat, feeling everyone's eyes on me.

"It's okay; I could use a moment for myself." He nodded in comprehension, and I followed Sarah, who had appeared in the doorway as soon as her name had been spoken, out of the room. She walked with small, light steps towards the kitchen with me following, and her appearance of the maid/bodyguard reminded me a lot of Alice; petite but dangerous.

When we arrived to the kitchen, the others' voices were just murmurs, and I suspected that Julie was right when she said that things probably were going to get a little bit loud. I took a deep breath and leaned against the wall, closing my eyes. All this was so tiring and…overwhelming. I had no idea who this "boss" person was nor why he wanted to kill me, but I sure as hell wanted to find out.

"Are you alright?" Sarah's sudden voice surprised me, and I swiftly opened my eyes in surprise and looked at her. Her childlike face was wearing a small frown of concern, and I nodded my head, not wanting her to worry.

"I'm okay, I'm just a little tired." I slightly lied, and her frown deepened, telling me clearly she didn't believe my bad lie at all. I sighed again, seeing it was no point lying to her. "I'm a mess. I have no idea what to do! Why me? Of all the people in the whole wide world, why did they want to kill _me_?I don't even know who he is!" I exclaimed, and then sighed. She watched me thoughtfully, and then spoke to me in a calm voice.

"It's going to be alright." Her simple words surprised me, and when she didn't continue, I couldn't help but to ask her about it.

"How do you know that?"

She shrugged. "You have Julie Lewis on your side. She's highly ranked in the volturi, and even though she's not a part of the guard, she has a lot of authority. With her on your side, nothing can go wrong." As she spoke, I could hear the admiration she held for Julie, and I quickly realized that she really looked up to Julie.

"I know…but still, all this is so confusing at the moment." I answered, and she gave me a warm smile, and placed one hand on my shoulder.

"You'll be fine. I know it'll take a small time for the shock to wear out, but in the end, you'll be fine. You have all these great companions with you who'll surly support no matter what."

I blushed at her friendly words, and thanked her. I had spoken with her before, but she was a really nice girl once you got to know her.

"Would you like something to drink?" she asked after a small moment of silence, and I nodded. My mouth was dry as a desert and a small glass of water wouldn't be that wrong. She walked away to the other end of the large kitchen and prepared my drink, and returned quickly with it. I gratefully took it and to both of our surprises gulped it down in the matter of seconds. I was thirstier than I thought. Sarah giggled at my strange behavior, and took the glass from me and returned to the refrigerator to refill the glass.

"Sometimes shock does that to you." She said as she stared at me with amusement and returned with another glass of water. This time I drank the water in a more reasonable pace. I finished my second glass after a minute or so, and then decided I had to go back to the others. Sarah gazed at me with an uncertain look in her eyes, and then spoke in a gentle manner.

"Are you sure? You can stay here a little bit longer if you'd like." She offered, but I shook my head. Even though I wasn't completely calm yet, I was calm _enough_ to go back there and enter the conversation with the rest of them. Besides, I think Edward would do me some good in the 'becoming calm' factor.

Together, we walked back to the now louder living room. Their voices, which before only were murmurs creeping down the hall were now full-leveled screams that echoed down the hall. I frowned as I entered the doorway to the chaotic room, and at first, none of them noticed, too busy shouting at each other. But after a few seconds they all seemed to have noticed that we had returned, and they all stopped their ranting and stared at me in surprise.

"Bella." Julie said in a rather breathless voice, strained from all the screaming she had done. She rose from her chair in a surprisingly graceful manner and walked over to me with small, quick steps. "I Hope you feel a little bit better now."

I nodded. "I'm still a little shaken, but I'll manage." I told her truthfully, and she nodded understandingly. She motioned me to go and seat myself, and I happily walked over to Edward's side. He seemed to be as content as I was with my return and happily took me into his arms.

"Are you okay?" he whispered into my ear as I snuggled up against his chest, and brought the blanket I had received closer to me. Even though I was remotely calmer now than before, I was still cold all over, like I had been standing outside in a snowstorm before I had entered the room.

"Yeah." I retorted back in a quiet murmur, not wanting him to worry about me. I knew he still would, but making a small lie like that maybe would calm him down at least a little bit (not that he didn't know if I lied or not).

Julie sat down in her chair once again and crossed her arms in front of her, putting a small frown on her face. "Now, Bella…" she began softly in a voice full of concern that caught my full attention. "Could you please repeat what the vampire said before Smith came?" Her question was spoken very carefully, like she was afraid that I would have a breakdown if I just thought more of the vampire visit that had just occurred. But I decided to push away any fear that still lingered in my fear for the moment and told them in detail what had happened and what he had said.

After my short replay of what had happened earlier tonight, the room stayed silent. They all continued to stare at me with mixed expressions, but unlike the last time I had told them about it, they all stayed silent. It sort of scared me…

At last, Smith cleared his throat, breaking the uncomfortable silent, and then spoke in a quiet and collected voice. "We need to come up with a plan to keep you safe. If this vampire spoke the truth, your life is in danger." Julie nodded in agreement and the twins stared at him with stern faces.

"What do we need to do?" Edward was the first one to speak after Smith and everyone else made small noises from themselves that they agreed with him.

"Well," Smith said, fixing his eyes on me this time. "We will never be able to leave her alone; that will give them a chance to strike, and if they do, you're defenseless. We'll have to call the mutt after this and inform him and his little pack of pups that she and possible the whole town is in danger." His last words made my whole body go stiff.

"What? What do you mean that 'the whole town is in danger'? Are you saying that other people than me are in danger?"

He stared into my eyes for a few seconds before answering me."Bella, that guy that broke into your room is obviously working for someone, and that 'someone' is probably a person who lets other people do his dirty work. I'm guessing he has a group of followers that will do anything he asks them to. But if they're a group of vampires, all of them will have to feed, and that means that every single person in this small town is a walking snack for them." his explanation made me more anxious by the second. A group of vampires? Here in Forks? He did say that four different vampires had been in town, but I would've never guessed that they all worked together for another vampire boss to kill me.

"We also need to look out for them, trying to search after them." he continued, looking at Alice this time. He didn't have to tell her what she needed to do, and she nodded in agreement. Like they had said before, Alice would have to look after the vampires with her visions as help, trying to see what their next moves were before they even knew what they were themselves. If she's able to do that, she might have a chance of seeing who's after me.

"I will be able to do that." She said shortly in a firm and determined voice, and Smith nodded in approval, liking her answer.

"We also need to keep them safe." He said, pointing at Edward and Alice. Our eyes met, and I nodded in agreement, my head being the only part of my stiff body that moved. I knew that he was right, no matter how much I wanted it to be untrue.

"Why should you protect us? Bella is the one in danger!" Edward said, and even though I couldn't see his face, I guessed that he was frowning deeply at the moment.

Smith sighed deeply, thinking he was an idiot and glared at him. "Bella will spend a lot of time with you, am I right? And when she does, her scent will be all over your place. Vampires track people down by following their scent, and the vampires will look for her wherever they feel her scent. You aren't the only ones who need protection; the Lewis' will need it too." Julie nodded in agreement and the room fell into silence.

Edward didn't answer his little rant and Smith sighed and shook his head to himself. "Anyways, that's the most important details you need to know right now. You should take her to your place; I'll follow you there and make sure no one makes a visit tonight." Smith said and looked at Edward. I felt how he nodded behind me, and then, in a blink of an eye, Smith had disappeared from the room. The twins looked over at me.

"He's right, you should go; it's getting late." Rick said, a concerned frown hanging on his face. Mick looked at me too, but didn't say anything. Edward nodded and then helped me up, first untangling me from the blanked they had given me. We both stood up and then thanked Julie for letting us come to her.

"That's no problem. Just make sure you get her home to your place safely and get to sleep, I'm happy." We nodded and told her we would, and then walked out of the house. The three of us sat down in Edward's Volvo, which I hadn't seen when the twins and I got here, and then he speeded away from the house in the matter of seconds. None of us spoke a word during the rather fast trip to their house. We all were trapped inside our own thoughts and never spoke them aloud.

We finally arrived to their house, and I groaned when I took a look at it.

"04:00…we stayed up until 04:00 on a school day… I'll die in the morning of lack of sleep."

Alice took my hand as we stepped out of the car and stroked it soothingly. "It's okay Bella, you'll survive. I've searched the future at least a thousand times the last 20 minutes, and you're in all of my visions."

I sighed, and shook my head, not wanting to think of the dreadful things that waited for me in the future.

We walked towards the house when suddenly Alice stopped, asking us to wait in a breathless and almost panicky voice. I looked at Edward worriedly, wondering if she had a vision about the vampires, but his face told me not to worry. Then, as sudden as she had stopped, the door in front of us opened with a bang, and Esme stared at us angrily.

"Where have you been! I've been worried sick about you! You just began to scream at two in the morning, and then both of you ran out of the door without any further explanation!" her voice rang of anger, and I flinched.

"Mom, calm down. We-"Edward began, but she interrupted, not sounding a bit calmer.

"Calm! You have no idea-"Her eyes traveled past all of us, and when she saw me, she stopped her ranting. "Why is Bella here?" she asked in surprise, looking at me where I stood in my pajamas at her at her porch.

"Something had happened to our friend, so he called both me and Bella and Alice and asked us all to come." Edward lied smoothly, and Esme's anger slowly fainted, getting replaced with concern for this 'friend' that Edward spoke of.

"Oh dear," she said breathlessly. "Is he going to be okay?"

Edward nodded. "Yes, he'll be alright. He was in an accident and got hurt. Bella and Alice got quite upset seeing him the way he was, so we decided to go before it got too late."

Esme looked at us with sympathy in her eyes, and then looked back at Edward again. "Sorry I screamed at you honey…I just-"

"You were just worried, I know. It's okay mom." He finished for her, and she smiled at her son and walked over to him and hugged him tightly to herself. When she finally let him go she told us to go straight to bed, and we all obeyed, wanting nothing else. With heavy steps, we all made it upstairs and Alice gave me a hug before we parted.

"Goodnight Bella, see you in the morning." She said and then got inside her room, closing the door behind her. I followed Edward to his room, and the second I was inside, I fell down on his bed and sighed happily. I was so tired I could barely see straight.

"Do you want to sleep on the couch?" he asked, asking for my benefit. I knew he was as tired as I was, but he didn't want me to feel uncomfortable.

"It's okay, I can sleep in your bed." I murmured, and he chuckled as I yawned.

"Alright then." He said, and he walked and turned the lights out. Both of us crawled down into the bed, and I tiredly snuggled up against him.

"Goodnight Bellie." He said and it took some effort for me to response.

"Goodnight Eddie." I called back, and I felt how I was sinking further and further away under the surface.

"Oh, and hey," He said, his voice sounding like it was far, far away. "Happy birthday." That was the last thing I heard before I fell asleep.

**Playlist: Band on the run – Foo Fighters**

**A/N: In case you forgot, I've uploaded chapter 21 too, so you're free to read that one too. Please review!/RF**


	21. Time for presents!

**A/N: I hope you'll like this one and still…sorry **

**Chapter 21: Time for presents! **

**BPOV**

"Shhh… don't wake her up…"a light voice murmured in the distance, and as the seconds went by, things around me started to get clearer. I heard how people's footsteps creaked on the floor and judging by the sound of them, they were quite many. The persons who were there whispered to each other, some of them giggling. As I groggily began to open my eyes, I heard how someone began to count down.

"One, two, three, and four…" In front of me stood everyone; Esme, Carlisle, Alice, Jasper, Rosalie, Emmet and Edward. All of them were dressed and smiled happily down on me where I was laying tiredly in Edward's bed, narrowing my eyes at the bright light.

"Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday dear Bella! Happy birthday to you!" They all sang, Emmet almost shouting the words which made me a little bit more alert. I was quite surprised to see Rosalie and Jasper there; they weren't here when we came back last night. They must've come here this morning (probably obeying Alice's crazy demands as always).

"Happy birthday Bella!" Alice exclaimed, and then attacked me with a hug. The rest of the family laughed as she was lying on top of me in the bed, and I was actually pretty surprised of her impulsive action.

"Eh…hello to you to, Alice." My strained, weak words only made the family to laugh even more, and Alice giggled, but let me go, and sat up next to me. I sat up as well, and it didn't take long before I was attacked again, sending me flying backwards down on the bed.

"Happy Birthday Bellie!" Emmet's booming voice rang in my ears and I heard more laughter behind me. But unfortunately, this time, I couldn't respond back. I was being crushed.

"Emmet, let the girl breathe, you're crushing her!" Esme scolded, and Emmet immediately let go of his bone crushing hold of me, and sat down on the opposite side of Alice, and smiled his goofy grin.

"Sorry." He sheepishly apologized to me, and I sat up once again. I met Edward's gaze, and he smiled down at me, his deep green eyes filled of amusement. But before he had a chance to say anything, Esme spoke again.

"Congratulation Bella on your 18th birthday. I'm sorry it's so sudden for you, but we all wanted to congratulate you on your birthday. Alice was a sweetheart and called the Hale's before I even woke up." She said and chuckled, leaning back into her husband's trusting arms. Carlisle smiled too, a warm and gentle smile that reached his light brown eyes and then spoke to me in a kind manner.

"We called Charlie yesterday when you arrived and informed him of your staying. He was pretty worried, so I suggest you call him after breakfast." He said, and I nodded in agreement. Charlie…I had almost forgotten about him in all this chaos. Poor dad, he must've been worried sick about me yesterday. I just disappeared through the door in my PJ's with some unknown guys, telling him it's an emergency. I better call after breakfast like Carlisle said.

"Thank you." I told him in a sincere voice, and then let my gaze wander through the room, meeting all of their eyes, one after one. "Thank you all. This is really…"I trailed of, searching for words. "Nice of you." My embarrassment was highly noticeably by the others, and they chuckled and laughed at my awkward gratefulness. All of them knew how I acted around birthdays, mine especially.

"You're welcome honey." Esme said and I smiled back at her, feeling how my cheeks burned from the blush. Then the rest of them –except Edward –left to give us some privacy. He smiled his crooked smile at me, and I felt how my heart jolted of joy in my chest.

"Sorry about that, I tried to stop them, but you know how Alice is." He apologized, but I shook my head.

"It's the thought that counts, right?" I said, and he laughed. Even though this was practically torture for me, I found it nice in some sort of level. Highly embarrassing and a huge pain in the ass, but still in some strange way, nice.

Edward walked over to the bed and sat down next to me and looked into my eyes. Then, too fast for me to react, he attacked my lips with his perfect ones in a warm and blissful kiss. A warm feeling began to spread over my skin, and butterflies crowded my stomach. When he let me go, (which was according to me, _way _too early) my eyes were clouded with black stars and my head felt dizzy.

"That's an early birthday gift from me." He said with laughter in his voice, and as I got my sigh back, I saw his proud smile, and I couldn't help but to blush. Then, a question bubbled to my lips.

"There's no more gifts, are there?" I asked, and his proud smile changed to a more sly one. That's when I became worried. "Tell me there isn't any other gift than this." I desperately demanded him.

With a laugh, he answered me mysteriously. "You'll see."

***At Breakfast***

Together, we both walked downstairs to eat breakfast. Alice had been kind enough to give a blue blouse and some black jeans that she had bought for me just for occasions like these (since she knew I would _never_ wear a dress). My golden cross that I had received from Alice the other day as a protection from vampires was safely hidden under my blouse. I considered not wearing it, but just a second after that, she appeared in Edward's doorway and glared at me warningly.

As we entered the dining room, my jaw dropped to the floor in surprise.

"Wow… that's a _lot _of food…" I murmur in awe as I looked at the large table propped with food. Esme just smiled as she guided me to an empty seat, Edward following right behind us. We both sat down, and as soon as we had, Esme announced that we all could start to eat. I looked around the big table, seeing the most delicious meal to the next, and I was just about to take some waffles when Jasper spoke.

"Emmet, are you okay? As soon as the dog stops to eat, you know something's wrong." A few of us laughed at the last sentence, knowing how large Emmet's appetite normally was, but when Emmet's tranquil face turned sad, we all knew something was wrong with him.

"Baby, what's the matter? You can tell me." Rosalie said in a soft tone, and stroked his arm gently.

"She…she's all grown up now…" He murmured in a heartbroken tone. "My little girl…is all grown up!" Emmet cried and then…actually began to cry. Tears ran down his cheeks, and we all stared at him in astonishment. He was crying…because I turned 18?

Esme returned from the kitchen, and when she saw the strange scene in front of her, she put her hands on her hips and looked at Emmet with a questioning look in her eyes.

"Emmet, what are you crying about?" she asked, and it took him a few seconds to respond.

"She's…" he began, and looked at me with a sad look. "You're not my little girl anymore." He said, and then began to sob.

"Was she ever your little girl?" Jasper quietly muttered the question we all asked in our heads. Emmet shot a small glare at him, but remained silence. Rosalie smacked her brother in the head for insulting her boyfriend and his best friend. He winced in pain, and shot his sister a cold glare. They had their little sibling quarrels a lot, they always had, but they never developed to full fist fights (well, _almost_ never).

Esme smiled at me and him, and put an arm around her son."Emmet dear… you're mistaken. Even though she's eighteen, she can still be your little girl. You and Alice and Edward are all grown up as well, but even though, you will _always_ be my precious little babies." Those words made the twins and I laugh quite hard, and the rest of the Cullen siblings blushed in embarrassment.

"Mom! Cut it out!" Edward groaned and she grinned at him.

"Really?" Emmet asked after a few seconds of silence, and she nodded in reply. Emmet then shot up from his seat and rushed over to me, who was still laughing from Esme's earlier speech, and got my second bone crushing hug for the day.

"Emmet, take it easy. I think Alice wants her to be alive for her birthday party." Rose joked, and he released me from his iron grip with a grin. I breathed deeply as he did, and I stared at Rosalie with a deep, confused frown on my face.

"Party? But we're going to Emmet's football game tomorrow!" I exclaimed, and she smiled at me.

"Oh, change of plans. We're having your party _today_ instead. That way, the game and the party won't collide." I stared at her in horror, and then at Alice, who was pleasingly giggling to herself. When my cold glare met her amused, she instantly stopped and looked down on her plate and began to eat.

"_Alice_?"´I asked in a menacing voice, and she continued to avoid me. "Alice! I can't believe you're doing this to me! I thought you were my friend!"

This time, she did look up. "Yes, I _am_ your friend, and friends don't let friends celebrate their birthday without a birthday party." I sighed in frustration and looked back at my own waffles.

"Come on Bellie! We want you to have a birthday party too!" Emmet begged, and I looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, it's going to be fun; we promise." Rose insisted and I sighed in defeat. They all would bug me all day until I agreed, and to be honest, I wasn't that keen to be around them if they did.

"Fine." I said with a sigh and Rose, Alice and Emmet cheered, and then immediately began to plan everything to the party. As they cheerfully began to chatter I glumly continued to chew on my waffles in silence.

***Later***

After breakfast, I called Charlie as Carlisle had suggested. He answered after the first ring, and as soon as I announced that it was me, I heard how he sighed in relief. He made me promise to come back for dinner today, not wanting me away so much. After that, Alice kidnapped me to her room (completely against my will) and gave me one of her 'quick' makeovers. Personally I don't think 20 minutes is a quick makeover, but she insisted that it was, saying that I didn't know what I was talking about.

It finally ended though in time for us to go, so both of us hurried down to the hallway where everyone was waiting.

"Alright everyone," Alice said as we all stood in the hallway, just leaving for school. "After school, Bella goes home to Charlie and eats dinner at home as she promised him this morning. Then, when that's done, Edward will come and pick her up and they'll drive over to our place at 9. They'll arrive at 9:30, and by that time, all decoration has to be done. Am I clear?"

They all nodded in agreement, and Alice smiled, pleased of herself.

"Alright then, we better get going before we'll be late." Edward announced, and Alice, Edward and I left through the door. We all walked to the garage in silence, but when I looked over at Alice, I saw a sly look on her face.

"What?" I asked, and she smiled cunningly and looked away.

"Nothing." She said as nonchalant as she could, but under that calm surface of hers she was hiding something from me: something _big_.

I worriedly looked over at Edward, wondering what kind of twisted ideas she was cooking inside of that tiny head of hers, and the second he saw anxious face, he burst into laughter.

"What? What is she thinking about?" I exclaimed in a worried voice that only cracked him up some more. I looked at Alice, bet her lips were sealed. She just grinned slyly and got inside her car. Edward continued to laugh as he got into his, and I joined him in the passenger seat, still staring at him, waiting for an answer.

"Bella, you need to relax." He finally said as he put the key into the ignition and started the car. "You're stressing yourself out over nothing. She only thought about the present she's planning to give you; it's no big deal."

"No big deal? Edward, you know how I feel about presents and parties and birthdays!" I exclaimed, and he gave me a calm smile.

"Of course do, I've known you for a long time now. But what I'm trying to say is that this _shouldn't_ be a big deal. She just wants to make you happy by giving you a gift."

I raised my eyebrows at him. I saw what he was doing now. "You're just saying this so you're off the hook later when you give me your present."

He smiled his wonderful, crooked smile at me, and then looked ahead. "Maybe." I couldn't help but to laugh at his desperate tries to make me accept that he's getting me a present.

"Well good luck with that." I said and looked out the window as he drove towards school in the rainy September weather.

***At School***

"Bella!" Two familiar voices called as I just stepped out of the car, and as I turned, I saw the twins, standing together under a huge umbrella.

"Hey." I retorted tiredly. Even though I got some hours of sleep last night (or technically, really early this morning) it wasn't enough to satisfy me entirely.

"Happy birt-"As soon as I realized what they were doing, I immediately ran over to them and covered their mouths, hoping that no one had heard.

"Shhhh! Keep quiet! I don't want anyone to find out that it's my birthday today." I hissed at them, and their eyes widened in comprehension. Slowly, I removed my hands from their mouths, and the second they were away, the smiled.

"Happy-"They began again with loud voices, but when they saw my face, they began to snicker. "Nah, we're just kidding with you." Rick said, and I glared at them.

"It wasn't funny."

Mick shrugged."Maybe not to you, but for us it was. Your face was priceless." He chuckled as I blushed. Edward now reached us, and by the look on his face, he wasn't happy that the twins were here. Or at least, that's what I thought.

"Oh right, before we forget!" Rick suddenly said, and reached after something in his bag. I was just about to ask what he was talking about when I saw the small, wrapped bow with a red ribbon on it.

"Happy birthday Bella!" Mick exclaimed, quietly this time for my sake. Rick handed me the box, and I just about to protest when silenced me.

"No, you're not allowed to complain. Just open it up, wear it and be happy. If you don't accept it, we'll give you another one much more expensive." Their talk worked, and I immediately began to unwrap it. Once it was unwrapped, I stared at an expensive looking, blue box with French writing on it. Just the look of it felt expensive, and I hadn't even seen the inside yet.

"Come on, open it!" Mick encouraged, but I still hesitated to lift the cover to lock inside.

"Don't worry; it won't bite." Rick said with a chuckle, and I looked over at them anxiously.

"I will _never_ forgive you for this." I said with a groan, and then took a deep breath and opened the box.

Inside was the most beautiful yet horrifying thing I've seen in my life. If I was asleep, I would definitely think it was a nightmare. Inside the expensive box was an even more expensive looking necklace, lying on a bed of deep blue velvet. The chain was silver and across it was pear shaped, white gemstones, beautifully scattered with the precise amount of space between each other. The pedant itself was priceless. It was oval and deep blue, like the velvet behind it, and was surrounded by gemstones that sparkled even though the sun didn't shine. I stared at the astonishing work of art for minutes without saying a word, lost in my own world. Finally, I managed to speak.

"H-H-How much did this cost?" I stammered and stared at them with wide, terrified eyes. I wanted to give them back the box carefully and then run as fast as my legs could carry me into the other direction. It was just scary holding it; I was afraid I was going to drop it if I moved one millimeter in any direction.

"That's not relevant Bella, just put it on." Mick said, rolling his eyes at me.

"I mean, even though this is just glass and plastic, it still looks like it's worth a fortune." I babbled on, ignoring his request.

"Bella, this is the real deal. It's real diamonds on the chain, it's real sapphire hanging as a pedant and real silver in the chain. It's not something we bought for $5 at Wal-Mart." Rick said, and I froze. Were they serious? It's not…fake? Are they saying that they spent a fortune on this necklace for _me_? A person they only had known for about a week?

"How much did it cost?" I asked the two chuckling brothers who stood before me. Mick just shook his head.

"That's for us to know and for you to find out." Rick said mysteriously, and then snatched the box out of my hands. He took the necklace (_way_ too reckless) from the box and then, too quick for me to realize what he was doing, put it around my neck. I jumped away from him in surprise, and stared at him in horror.

"What do you think that you're doing?" I hissed at him, and looked down at the super expensive jewelry, hanging around my neck. I was too afraid to touch it, afraid I might break it by just touching it, and it left me helpless, unable to take it off myself.

"Well, you were so slow so I figured I would help you put it on." He said with a shrug. Edward, who had stayed silent during the whole conversation, sighed and put an arm around my shoulder, beginning to lead me away.

"Our lessons start in about 5 minutes, so I suggest we get going." He said in a sour tone, and walked away from the twins. I looked over my shoulder, and met Mick's amused gaze.

"Not even a small 'thank you'?" he called, and I stuck my tongue out and then looked ahead. Thanking them was the least I wanted to do at the moment.

"Are you okay?" Edward asked as we reached inside, and I nodded. I was a little bit shaky and shocked, but other than that, I was fine. Together, we walked through the half full corridor, and no matter how much I wanted to deny it, they all stared at us. I don't know if it was because of Edward, or because I had a necklace with diamonds and sapphire on it. I hoped it was because of Edward, and not because of the way to expensive jewelry around my neck.

We finally reached our lockers and after grabbing our books, we both parted. I sulked all way to math since I would have to meet Smith there. The bell rang just as I stepped inside, and out of nowhere, I felt a cold touch on my shoulder. I jumped in surprise and turned around to meet Smith's yellow, stern eyes.

"Miss Swan, please take your seat; class has begun." His words were spoken in a quiet yet hard tone, but still, everybody in the room heard it. I quickly walked to my seat next to Rick, and class started. He smiled as I sat down, but I didn't give him a second glance. I was still …well angry would be wrong; you don't get angry because other persons get you gifts, but I was still trouble by the fact that the thing around my neck could probably pay for a racer car.

He was about to say something when Smith interrupted him. "Now, everybody turn to page 122." We all did, and some of us groaned when we understood what he was going to do.

"Please start from page 122 and then work forward. We will have a test next week, so please study hard." After that, he stayed silent at his desk, reading a book. None of us said something, and we all began to count down the minutes to the end of the lesson.

***Later***

The bell rang loudly in our ears, and the sound of freedom that we all had waited for was finally here. Smith, who now had put his book aside came to me and Rick and spoke quietly to us whilst the other students quickly made their way out of the classroom.

"Stay a few minutes; I have some things I need to share with you."

We both nodded in agreement, and he gave me a friendly smile. Once everyone except Rick and I had left, Smith closed the door and in a blink of an eye, he was back at our sides. I saw how he was eying my necklace, and when he noticed I was looking at him, he pointed at my neck.

"A present from your boyfriend?" He sort of hissed the word boyfriend, but other than that, he spoke calmly.

"No I-"I began to protest, but Rick interrupted me before I could explain.

"I'm the guilty one there." He said and raised his hand a bit up in the air. Smith continued to eye it a few seconds longer, and then shrugged.

"Anyways, I asked you to stay to give you an update. We called the wolves last night, and they all agreed to help us in the matter. They will patrol the woods and help me guard you when I can't." he said to me with a harsh look in his eyes. I shivered slightly at the uncomfortable subject, and took a deep breath to make the uneasy feeling in my stomach to go away.

"That's great." I said, even though the tone of my voice made it sound like the complete opposite.

"Have you gotten another trail of some sort?" Rick asked, and Smith shook his head.

"Both the mutts and I patrolled around town last night, but none of us found something new. How about that psychic of yours? Has she found something?" he asked, and I shook my head with a frown.

"Not that I've heard of; she hasn't told me anything." I told them and Smith sighed.

"Well, that's just great. Run along now, you don't want to be late for your next class." Rick and I both nodded, and headed for the door. Just before I was out, Smith called my name, and I looked back at him.

"By the way, happy birthday Bella." He said in a soft tone with a blissful smile, and I quietly murmured 'thank you', knowing he was able to hear me, and the quickly headed out the door.

***Later***

The whole day passed without any disasters. At lunch, Alice and the twins were joking around about standing up and singing happy birthday to me in the cafeteria, in front of everyone, but luckily for me, they decided not to. None of my other classmates didn't find out that it was my birthday either, which was nice. I don't know what could've happened if Mike had found out…

When I arrived to P.E. later in the day, I faced a dilemma. I of course couldn't wear the necklace at P.E., but removing it was a challenge itself. But just before I entered the gym, someone grabbed my arm and pulled me away. I gasped in surprise, and when I saw who it was, I frowned.

"What are you doing here?" I asked Mick, who was grinning happily at me.

"Since it's your birthday, and the necklace we gave you didn't seem to make you that happy, Rick and I persuaded the lady at the school office to allow you to go home early." I stared at him, wondering if he was telling the truth, and when I finally realized he did, I smiled happily at him.

"Are you serious? Thank you!" I said, and he grinned back.

"Glad I could help. Hey, I can give you a ride home if you want, Alice told me you needed to be home before you could come to the party." When he mentioned the party, I groaned aloud.

"She told you about that?" He nodded happily in reply, and I sighed. There was no escape, was it?

"She even invited us. Don't worry, we'll be there." He promised, not making it better. "So, what do you say, about the drive?" He asked.

"Well, fine. Since Edward gave me a ride here, I don't have a car, and his lesson doesn't end until another hour." He smiled at me, and together we walked to the parking lot. There, in the parking lot, leaning against a black, sleek, expensive looking car stood Rick, wearing a pair of sunglasses. I frowned in both surprise and confusion.

"Why are you wearing sunglasses? It's cloudy." I pointed out, and he grinned at me.

"Bella, Bella, Bella…" Said and sighed a happy sigh. "Your presence simply blinded my eyes." I rolled my eyes at him, and he laughed. Mick took out a car key and opened the car Rick was leaning against.

"Wait…that's _your_ car? What happened to the other cars?" I asked as Mick guided me inside it and closed the door behind me.

"Bella," He said once he was inside."Those were only temporarily. We had crashed this one in a race a month ago, and we sent it to get fixed. But we got our baby back today." He said, and smiled proudly. I seriously would _never _understand what's so interesting about cars. He started the car, and began to drive away from school too fast than necessary.

***Later***

The twins drove me home, and I spent the rest of the day doing homework and making dinner. I did manage to take the necklace off me, and I have to say, my neck felt so much lighter after that. I carefully laid it in my drawer of clothes so Charlie wouldn't find it.

Once Charlie came home, he gave me a big hug, which was very unusual for him. He's not a very 'huggy' person, so to speak. We ate dinner as usual, speaking only when necessary, and when the clock was about 9, the doorbell rang. I immediately remembered that Alice had told Edward to pick me up for the party at this time, and sulkily went to open the door. To be honest, I didn't really look forward for this party at all. It would just be awkward and painful. But I would suffer through it, if it made them happy.

As I had expected, Edward stood on the other side of the door, and to my surprise, he was dressed in a suit. I groaned, and he laughed.

"That's your reaction, thanks. I was hoping for something more 'oh, how handsome' or 'Dashing as always' but no, you _groan_ the second you see me." He said jokingly, and I laughed.

"Sorry. You _are_ handsome, I never said you weren't. It's just that this means Alice has gone all the way and further." He smiled his crooked smile, and nodded.

"This year is something special, I'll tell you that." This only made me groan again. Charlie, who had been sitting in the sofa, watching some game, came to the door and looked me in the eye.

"Hope you'll have fun honey. Tell Alice I said hi." He said, and I smiled at him.

"I will." I promised, and then we were off. On our way there, both of us joked and talked about anything regarding the party, and as we drove off the highway onto the small road leading to their house, I saw some shimmering lights in the distance. As we came closer, I saw that it was lanterns placed on the side of the road, all of the blissfully lit.

"Alice." I said whilst shaking my head. Nothing could really stop that girl once she had set her mind to it… We continued our drive and finally reached the house. I slightly saw the inside through one of the big windows, and I did not like what I saw.

We both stepped out of the car, and just before we began to walk towards the house, Edward pulled me towards him and gave me another one of his thrilling kisses. My stomach grew warm, filling it yet again with more butterflies, and everything that was in my mind at that second disappeared.

"That," he said as he let me go." Is my second gift to you."

"How many gifts are you giving me?" I questioned him, wondering what I should expect from him, but he just grinned slyly at me.

"You'll see."

***Inside***

The whole house had been decorated with flowers, and several candles were lit all around in the house. Once we came inside, Esme and Carlisle greeted us, both of them fancy dressed. Alice had apparently made everyone dress up for this event. Even me. As we stood there and talked to Esme And Carlisle, Alice just suddenly appeared, and grabbed me by the arm and proceeded to drag me up to her room. I met Edward's eyes, and he smiled apologetically at me, knowing it was hard for me. Alice on the other hand, knew as well but didn't care. She thought I was used to it by now.

As we reached her room, she closed the door behind us. Then she turned around and looked at me with pleading eyes. "Come on Bella, I promise it won't take long, a maximum of 10 minutes. Just change into this dress and let me fix your makeup a bit and we're done." She said, holding up a black dress.

I sighed as she opened her closet. "Do I have a choice?" I asked, knowing she would just answer it with a no.

"Nope, if you don't agree I will change you into that dress by force." She said darkly, and then laughed. I sighed, and then unwillingly followed her into her gigantic closet.

***10 minutes later***

"And we're all done! Look how cute you are!" She said as she began to smile proudly at her art of work (me). I looked at the reflection in the mirror, and I had to agree, she did do a good job, but I would refer me as 'cute'.

"Come on, let's go downstairs, the other's are waiting." She said and took my hand.

"Alice, you will tell me if you get a vision of me embarrassing myself completely in front of everyone, and warn me before it happens?" I asked as we walked down the stairs.

"Sorry, can't do that." She said rather glumly, and I was just about to ask her why when she continued. "That mutt arrived 5 minutes ago, and since then, I haven't been able to see anything."

"Jake's here?" I exclaimed in surprise, and she nodded.

"The twins called him. Smith had to patrol and someone has to babysit you, so he said he'd be willing to do it." I was just about to ask something else, when I spotted Edward at the foot of the stairs, and I smiled brightly at him. He saw me too, and grinned to himself. Once we were down, he took my hand and gave me a hug. As he did, he leaned down and whispered softly in my ear.

"You look absolutely beautiful." I blushed at his words, and our hug was interrupted by Alice, who told us to get a room. Edward let me go, and together, we all walked into the living room. There they all were. Rosalie sat by the piano and played a beautiful piece, and Emmet stood leaning casually against it.

Esme and Carlisle sat in the sofa together, holding each other's hands. Jasper stood in the middle of the room, looking at Alice with adoring eyes. Jake, who sat in a lone chair, stared at me with a grin on his face. He was casually dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, not in a suit like Edward. The twins were there as they had promised, and they sat in one of the sofas, next to each other as always.

And then there was a person there I certainly didn't expect; Julie. She sat next to Esme in the sofa, and she was as always, dressed in the highest fashion.

"Hi Bella." Julie greeted as soon as she saw me, and I greeted her back. "I'm sorry I couldn't bring that husband of mine, he had some work to do." She apologized.

"It's okay." I said, and blushed as I saw that everyone was staring at us. All of their small conversation stopped as we entered, and they all smiled. Rose stopped to play and turned around in her seat to look at me. She smiled and looked at Alice and gave her a thumb up, and then she returned to her piano and started to play again.

"Finally, everyone's here." Alice said and walked over to Jasper, taking his hand. "Since we already sang for you this morning, I thought we could skip that." She said, and I smiled.

"Good." I said, and some of them chuckled at my relief. Edward guided me to the sofa where the twins sat, and both of them whistled as I sat down.

"Damn, that midget knows what she's doing." Mick said with a grin.

"I agree, Mick. You look stunning!" Rick said, and I blushed. Both of them were on their way of saying something more when their mother hushed them in a harsh voice.

"Rick, Mick, _behave_!" Both of them grinned at her, but they didn't say anything else. Julie smiled at me, and looked at my dress.

"But I have to say, my sons have a point. You _do_ look stunning tonight." She said, and I blushed. "Did you get the necklace I asked my impudent sons to give you?" I stared at her in confusion. The necklace was from _her_?

"Eh…yes, yes I did. Thank you." I said, and she smiled.

"I'm glad you liked it. I found it on a sale on Tiffany's." she said, and I concentrated not to get visibly shocked. Tiffany's? She wants to get me a birthday gift, and she goes to Tiffany's?

"Speaking of gifts," Alice said, overhearing our conversation."I believe it's time for presents!" Emmet cheered, and grinned at me, and the other Cullen's laughed, knowing how I reacted around gifts.

I'll go first." Alice said, and ran out the room, she then returned with a bag with some designer's logo on the side of it. Julie gasped excitedly, saying how she loved that brand. Alice placed the bag in my knee, telling me to look inside. I did, and all I saw was fabric. I took it out, and then I saw what it was; another dress. It was white, and decorated with red broodings. I smiled as brightly as I could, and thanked her. It was very beautiful, and it wasn't too short, like some of the dresses she forced me to wear were.

"I'll go next." Emmet said, and grabbed the present that was lying on top of the piano. It was an oval box, and as he handed me it, it had some weight.

"I hope you behaved yourself this year, Emmet." Esme said in stern voice. The last time he had gotten me a gift, it was a book called '_101 things to do to get laid'_. I was 15 at the time, so it was anything but appropriate.

"Don't worry mom, I won't disappoint you." He said with a sly grin that made his speech less believing.

I opened the present, and the box made me laugh.

"What did he get you?" Jake asked from his armchair, and I showed the others the wine bottle I had received.

"Emmet!" Esme scolded him, but Emmet held up a finger, asking her to wait to scold him so he could explain.

"Mom, she's eighteen now! So I figured I would give her some vine to celebrate that she's legal to drink! "His explanation made us laugh, and I thanked him for the gift. He grinned, and then returned to Rose by the piano. Rose, who had stopped playing completely now, stood up, and walked over to her brother.

"We got you something too." She said and Jasper pulled out a small, flat envelope from his jacket's pocket. Rose gave it to me with a smile, and hugged me.

"Happy birthday." She said, and I thanked her, then I opened the envelope. Inside, I found a gift card to the bookstore in Seattle.

"Thank you so much." I told them both, and they just smiled, telling me I was welcome.

"I didn't know what to get you, so baked you some cookies." Esme said, and I smiled.

"That's perfectly fine Esme." I told her, and she smiled her motherly smile.

"I'll give you the jar once you get home." She said, and I thanked her.

"My turn." Jake then announced and walked over to me. I then realized he was holding something in that fist of his, which he dropped into my palms. It was a leather bracelet, and in the end, a small wooden wolf hang.

"Dad thought me how to do it." he said , and I stared at him in astonishment.

"Wait, you did this by yourself?" I asked, and then looked back at the tiny, wooden wolf. It had many, tiny details, and it sort of resembled Jake's wolf form a bit.

"Yeah. Not easy, I tell you." He said with a grin, and I smiled at him.

"Thanks Jake, I appreciate it." I said, and without further warning, he gave me a tight hug, almost as bone crushing as Emmet's usually are. He then let me go and returned to his seat. Then the twins spoke.

"I think it's our time now. Shall we give it to her?"Rick asked his Brother.

"Shall we? I think we shall."Mick said, and his brother shrugged. Since we were sitting next to each other, none of them needed to get up to give the present.

"We hope you'll like it." They both said in unison with smiles plastered on their faces.

The box they gave me was square and rather small. I opened it carefully, and inside I found a perfume. The bottle was red, and the writing looked French.

"_Voila_! Straight from Paris." Mick said.

"Thanks." I said, and they grinned.

"Just glad to contribute to something." Rick said.

"Then there's just one person left." Alice announced, and smirked at her brother. He rolled his eyes at her, and stuck out her tongue at him. Then he turned his head to me.

"Bella," He said softly, smiling. "Do you remember the lullaby I wrote for you when we were 14?" he asked, and as soon as he mentioned it, it struck my mind. When we were living Alaska, Edward had written me a lullaby. I had forgotten about that…

"Yeah, I remember. It was beautiful." I said, recalling how I always used to beg him to play it for me when we had the free time.

"Well," he said, smirking."I recorded that and a bunch of new songs for you on this CD." He said, and took out a CD from the inner pocket of his jacket. Esme, Julie, Rose and Alice all 'Ahhh'd at his sweet gesture, and I blushed. He'd recorded me my own CD? With songs he'd written for me? That's…that's one of the most romantic thing's he's ever done for me.

He placed the CD in my lap, and smiled at me.

"Happy birthday Isabella." He said in his most loving, sweet voice. And then, it happened.

I don't know exactly _how_ it happened, but somehow, something in my brain flicked. The walls I had built up for my self control crumbled down in one short second. Or maybe my courage got a huge boost and my self-conscious went to hide. Whatever happened inside me was past my knowledge. I just kissed him.

My hands went around his neck, and I kissed him directly on his mouth. I heard cheers and chuckles around me, but at the moment, none of that mattered. What mattered was that I loved Edward. He kissed me back, placing his hands around my shoulders, and after a few, long and blissful seconds, we both parted to breathe. I met his eyes, and we both were smiling happily. Then, my self-conscious that had went disappeared, came back from its hiding place, and my cheeks immediately began to burn.

"Wooooow, that's not something you see every day!" Jake said with a laugh, and grinned at me. Emmet and the twins cheered like it was a goal on a soccer game, and Rose just smiled. Alice jumped up and down of happiness, giggling, and Jasper looked surprised but amused. The grownups just looked at us like all grownups did when they saw couple's being all lovey-dovey with each other.

"Young love." Julie sighed happily, and her blue eyes looked at us adoringly, thinking we were acting cute. I immediately let go of Edward's neck, and gave him some space.

"Sorry about that." I murmured in embarrassment, and he laughed.

"No need to apologize." He laughed, and squeezed my hand. If you want to see this happening from the bright side; at least it couldn't get any more embarrassing than this.

***Later***

"Here you are honey. Say hi to Charlie for me, will you?" Esme said as she gave me the jar of cookies she had promised me. Edward held the bag Alice had given me where we had put all of my gifts of the night. The rest of the night we had just talked with each other, and luckily for me, the night didn't get more embarrassing after that point. The Cullen's and the Hale's got to know the Lewis's and vice versa, and we all had a really good time.

"I will." I promised her, and gave her a hug. It was just passed eleven o'clock, and the Hales and the Lewis's had just left before us.

"Well, we better get back. We shouldn't let Charlie worry too much." Edward suggested, and Esme and Carlisle agreed.

"Drive home safely." Carlisle told us, smiling friendly and we both nodded in agreement. Then the two of them walked inside. Together Edward and I walked to the car in silence, and we were both just about to open the car doors when a voice interrupted us.

"Really successful party. Such a shame I couldn't come." Smith's voice came from the shadows, making me jump and shriek in surprise. Edward immediately came to my side, grabbing my hand in the progress.

"What are you doing here?" I asked him, and suddenly, he was standing in front of me with something that made my blood freeze. Beside him stood the bloodthirsty vampire that had sneaked inside my room the other night. His eyes were dangerously black, and he stared angrily at me.

"I came to bring you the best gift of the night." he said with crooked smile.

**A/N: Dun dun daaah! ****Sorry, I was pretty mean there, wasn't I? Sorry about the cliffy, but other than that, I hope you liked it! Please review!/RF **


	22. When everything you planned goes wrong

**A/N: Here's chapter 22, not too long after the others. Please read and enjoy!**

**Chapter 22: When everything you planned goes wrong **

**BPOV**

I stared at Smith in horror. What was he doing? Why did he bring that vampire here? Was he…going to kill me? Had he betrayed us all, playing the nice guy when in fact, he was the bad guy all along?

Smith laughed; a laugh so calm and joyful it made me sick to my stomach. Shills went down my spine, and my muscle tensed all over in my body. Smith looked over at the other vampire with a calm smile and spoke in a soft yet menacing tone.

"Joe, look at me." He said to the other vampire who's name apparently was Joe. Joe continued to glare at me with a deadly look, and Smith sighed, still smiling. He placed one hand on Joe's shoulder, and after a few seconds, Joe unwillingly turned his gaze slowly towards Smith.

"I know you're hungry, but you will have to wait to feed. You will _not_ eat our friends here, do you understand?" He said, staring intently into his eyes. "If anyone is going to do that, it will be me." He said, and Joe stared at him without giving him any answer. Smith's face then turned dark, and his tone lost all its earlier friendliness.

"Are we _clear_?" he asked, and this time, Joe nodded, which made Smith smile contently

"What are you doing…?" I suddenly managed to murmur in a weak voice, and felt how tears developed in my eyes. Suddenly, I didn't see any of them, because Edward had placed himself in front of me protectively.

"I knew we couldn't trust you! All this time, it was you who was planning to kill Bella! There's no vampire boss, there never was; there's only you and your minions, creeping around in the forest!" He screamed, his voice shaking in anger. His arm was successfully pushing me back, away from Smith and the other vampire called Joe, but even though, I managed to see a little bit of what was happening. Smith's eyes widened as the words hit him, and then his shock turned into horror.

"No, no! Don't misunderstand me; I'm not here to hurt you!" He began to say frantically, shaking his head in denial. Both Edward and I stared at him n confusion, frowning deeply, not believing him. "I swear it's true! Bella, please believe me, I would never hurt you! This is not what it looks like."

"Oh really? Because I think this is _exactly_ what it looks like." Edward hissed through gritted teeth, glaring at him.

Smith glared back at Edward, and by the sound of his voice, he was really trying not to scream his lungs out at the moment. "Well, it _isn't_. If you just cared to listen a few seconds to let me explain, you would understand."

Edward doubtfully stared at him for a few seconds, and then sighed. "If it's not what it looks like, that what is it?"

Smith let his gaze wander to me for a while, and then turned it back to Edward again. "Bella told you about me, right? About my abilities?" He asked him, and Edward nodded slowly, not sure where this was getting. I was staring at the scene, frozen. I couldn't find my voice so I could join the conversation and my legs refused to move so I could walk forward to stand beside Edward and not behind him.

"Yes…you can turn your body into animals, right? And the mind manipulation."

"Yes, that's right. Well, the mind manipulation or compulsion you might call you, makes me able to make you believe anything I tell you. That's how I was able to erase Bella's memories; by telling her to forget it." He explained, pointing at me. "But with Joe here, I used my abilities a little different. While you guys where at the party, I decided to look for trails. I was surprised to find a fresh one just out of town, so I decided to follow it, and it didn't take long until I caught up with him. I was able to catch him, and hold him down long enough to use my mind manipulation on him, and now, he's like a puppet on a string and I'm his master. He'll do anything I say, and tell me anything I want." He finished, smiling brightly. Both Edward and I stared at him in silence, surprised by his unusual explanation.

"So…you're not here to kill me?" I carefully asked, peeking over Edward's shoulder to get a better look at him. He met my gaze, and his smile turned into one of his admiring one's.

"Bella, I told you; I would never hurt you." He said softly, staring straight into my eyes. "He won't hurt you, will you Joe?" Smith asked, and looked at Joe, who nodded slightly, looking pissed.

"I don't understand; what was this gift you talked about?" I asked, and he looked at me like I was an idiot.

"It's Joe! Do you have any idea how hard it was to catch this bastard? And to hold him down long enough to make compel him? The bastard nearly bit me once!" He said, glaring at Joe, who glared back. Then he sighed, and looked back at me. "Don't you see? Now that we've caught him, we can question him about who's responsible for all this." He said, like it was obvious (which it kind of was). I let my gaze wander to Joe. Joe hardly looked like he wanted to share any information at all, mind manipulation of not.

"Anyways, we should meet up at the Lewis's house; they'll need to hear about this too." He said, and then, in a blink of an eye, he had disappeared.

"…what just happened?" I asked aloud, staring at the spot where Smith had stood a few seconds ago.

"I have no idea." Edward said, taking my hand. "Anyways, we should do as he said, and drive over there. We can call them on the way and explain the situation. You got his number, right?" He asked, and I nodded.

"Good, then let's go."

***At the Lewis's house***

"Bella, you're here." Julie said as she opened her front door and stared at me. Edward and I had driven there in 10 minutes, speeding whenever possible. On the way, I had called the twins, but Smith had already arrived to the house and explained everything, so they already knew the situation. They just told me to come there as soon as possible. The second I hung up from that conversation, my cell began to ring again. I answered, and this time it was a frantic Alice. She already knew we were on our way there, but just wanted to make sure I was okay. I assured her I was, and then I advised her not to come. She spent the rest of the ride there pestering about how she should come, but I told her no every time. At last, she gave up, but left me with that if she saw something, she would call.

"Yeah, we came as soon as we could." I said, and she quickly let the both of us in, greeting Edward as well.

"We're in the living room." She said, and walked ahead, us following. Inside the living room it was dead silence, the only sound being the fire that sparkled in the fireplace. Joe and Smith stood in the middle of the room, both of them looking at us as we entered the room. Smith looked relieved that I had come, which Joe did not. He glared at me murderously and hissed; an animalistic sound that made me freeze in my walk and stare at him in horror. Smith frowned in disapproval, and hit Joe in the back of his head.

"Don't."He said in a dangerous voice, and after a few seconds, Joe stopped the hissing. The twins, who sat in the sofa, turned their heads and gave me small nods as greetings. Both of them had changed from their fancy shirts to t-shirts and jeans, and now they were eyeing the vampire next to smith with suspicious eyes.

"It's good you're here; he's getting more difficult by the second." Smith said in an annoyed voice. I stared at him with wide eyes. What did he mean by that? Was he…dangerous?

"But I thought you said he was like a puppet on a string with you as his master?" I said, recalling what he had said earlier this night.

He sighed, and looked me straight in the eyes with a grave look. "Well…the last couple of minutes have been a little bit tricky. He's very resistant to my compulsion. He's not like you…well how you used to be. He has broken free a few times now, so I suggest we hurry up and get this over with." He said and then continued to look at me. "To be to on the safe side; don't move too close." He added to me, and I gulped in fear. This was _not_ safe, my mind screamed to me, and my legs urged to run away from there, but with deep breaths, I managed to walk together with Edward to a sofa placed in the edge of the room, as far away from the vampires as possible. Joe followed us with his gaze, glaring angrily in our direction, but I tried to ignore it the best I could.

I had no idea what he meant with 'he's not like you used to be', but I was too afraid to ask at the moment. All of us wanted to get this over with and bringing that up would just make this take even longer. If he had broken loose from Smithy's mind manipulation, I'm sure he could do it again, and I'm not sure I would like to be there when that happens.

"Okay, let's start; I'm not sure how long I can control him anymore." Smith said, and we all stared at them silently. Julie stood together with Sarah beside our couch with her arms crossed, watching the scene intensely. Sarah stood beside her, and judging by the way she tensed her body, she clearly didn't trust the new vampire in the house. I'm sure she would do her best to protect her master, no matter what it took.

Smith turned around and looked at Joe, who still was glaring at us, and spoke in a calm yet demanding tone. "Joe, look into my eyes."

He growled in protest, and Smith frowned in displeasure."Do it!" he yelled, and in a motion too fast for me to see, Joe turned his head towards Smith.

"What do you want from me!" He hissed, finally speaking. His voice was very different form the night he came to kill me. Then, he had spoken with ease; casually and light. Now, he was very, _very _pissed, and roared his words into Smith's face.

"Who do you work for?" Smith ordered, staring intently into the vampires dark eyes. Joe stared back, but did not respond. Smith's face darkened and he was just about to open his mouth to ask again, when my phone began to buzz. All eyes landed on my, and despite my embarrassment, I answered, frowning. One short second, I wondered who was calling me at this hour, but as soon as I had answered, I knew. Alice.

"Bella!" She immediately screamed in my ear, and my frown deepened.

"Alice, calm do-"I began, but she interrupted me.

"You don't have time! He's about to-"And that's when I heard it; that bloodcurdling scream that echoed in the silent air. Joe, who'd broken loose from Smith's mind manipulation once again, had started to run when Smith wasn't looking, and jumped right into the fireplace, into the burning flames. His screams made me cringe, and I saw with wide, shocked eyes as his body burned in the hot fire. He burst into flames the second he entered the fiery pit, and the room was instantly filled by purple, thick smoke that smelled like a mixture between bleach and burned flesh. The process only took about half a minute, and then Joe, who had been standing beside us just a few minutes ago, had turned into a pile of ashes. All of us except Smith, coughed as the thick smoke reached us, and our eyes got teary by the horrible smelling smoke.

"W-What…what is this?" I managed to ask between coughs, and Smith turned to look at me, his eyes hard and grave.

"It's the smoke that appears when you burn a vampire's body. It's not poisonous or any way dangerous for humans, but it won't feel comfortable breathing it." He explained in a dark voice. Julie went to the windows and opened them to let the awful smoke out of the room. As it cleared, I got a better view at Smith ahead, and what I saw wasn't pretty.

He was furious; it was written all over his face. He didn't mutter to himself or scream loudly like he often did when he was pissed, but instead, he glared at the fireplace where Joe had escaped and ended his immortal life. We all were shocked by what just happened, and the mood in the room probably dropped from bad to worse. Joe was maybe our last shot of finding out who was after me, and with him dead, we were absolutely clueless.

"Are you okay?" Alice asked on the other line, her voice clouded with worry. I had almost forgotten that she was still there, and after a few seconds I was able to respond.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I answered her, and then looked at Edward who was beside me. He was staring at me with a troubled expression, and I placed my hand in his, squeezing it lightly. He squeezed back, and even though none of us spoke, we both understood that we were okay and that everything would be fine. Well, that last part might not have been true, but we both hoped it was intently.

"We're all fine." I told Alice, and I heard how she sighed in relief. I now understood that she's been worrying about us this whole time. Just because I didn't allow he to come with us didn't mean that she wouldn't know what was going on. She probably watched the whole thing before it happened, and when she saw that Joe wasn't going to tell us and instead end his life, she called me as soon as she could.

"I was so worried. I was-"She began to say, but then suddenly stopped talking and stayed silent.

"Alice? Alice, what's wrong? Talk to me!" I exclaimed in worry, and waited for a response. After a few seconds, she spoke again.

"Smith is about to have a huge rage outburst. I'm not so sure I want to hear it, since I already have in my mind, so I'll hang up now. I'll call again if I see something important ahead." She said quickly, and then there was only beeping in the other end. I sighed, and hung up too, and snuggled up closer to Edward, who put his arms around me. I was sure I wasn't going to want to hear it either, and since I couldn't take the easy way out like Alice could (and had), I was just going to have to endure it together with the others.

Smith began to mutter something quietly to himself, which I didn't take as a good sign. That would later develop into screams, which I didn't look forward to.

"He slipped away, right in front of me…" He said, louder this time, and then his face twisted in anger and darkened. He turned his gaze to Julie and glared angrily at her.

"This is your fault! If you hadn't lit that fire, he wouldn't be a pile of ashes right now!" He accused her, and Julie glared back at him, getting pissed.

"Oh really? You were the one who was supposed to make sure he wasn't going to run away, and look what happened! Don't come and blame this on me when you have a big part in it!" She angrily retorted, and I could see how Smith's anger grew by the second.

"_My fault_? It's thanks to me you even got a chance to see him today!"

She scoffed. "Well, it's also thanks to you that we saw him getting burned to ashes." Smith growled at her, and was about to scream something back at her when I interrupted them. I just couldn't take this anymore.

"Stop it, both of you!" I yelled in a clear voice, and every pair of eyes in the room turned to stare at me. I blushed in anger and embarrassment, but kept going anyway. "Stop going at each other's throats! He escaped, and that really sucks; I know. But blaming each other about it isn't going to help anyone." I said in a determined voice, and they all continued to stare at me. I saw how the anger slowly began to cool in both of the adults' faces, and after a few seconds of silence, Smith sighed.

"She's right. What's done is done and the past is the past." He said, and even though Julie still looked a little flustered, she nodded in agreement.

"Yes. We should think of a plan. When the others notice he's dead, they probably won't be that happy." Julie said, and the twins looked at me.

"Bella, what are you doing tomorrow?" They asked together, and I hesitated before answering.

"I'm going to Emmet's football game. It begins at 2." I told them, and I saw how the others' faces lit up.

"That's great." Rick said, and Julie and Smith nodded in agreement.

"It…is?" I asked, not understanding what was so great about it.

Smith smiled at me. "There's going to be a lot of people there, am I right?" I nodded. "Great, even better. Even though they're newborns, they won't attack people out in the open. Their instincts tell them it's wrong. Besides, any vampire feels uncomfortable at daytime, so if they aren't given orders to be there, they won't." he said matter-of-factly.

Julie turned to her sons. "Rick, Mick; you two follow her to the game. Call me if anything happens. I need to work tomorrow, so I can't come." She said, and they nodded.

"Yes ma'm." Mick said with a grin.

"You don't have to tell us that twice." Rick said with a smirk, and Mick chuckled.

"What do we do for tonight?" Julie asked Smith, and then made a glance into my direction, meeting my eyes. Smith looked at me too, and a deep frown settled in his forehead. "Taking her back to the Cullen's is not an option, and so is her home." She continued, and I felt how Edward stiffened behind me.

"What do you mean that taking her to our place is 'not an option'?" he asked. Julie and Smith turned their eyes to him, and then at each other, like they were silently asking each other who should explain it to him. Then Smith sighed and looked back at him.

"Your house is not an option because there are simply too many people there. If Bella's there and they decide to attack, there's a large risk that they hurt –even kill – the others. I won't be able to protect you all since my main goal is to keep Bella alive." He said, and I felt how my heart skipped a beat just by the thought of them getting hurt because of me.

"But she was able to sleep there the other nights; why not this night?" Edward asked, and Smith took a deep breath before answering, clearly getting annoyed.

"Because half of the wolf pack decided to go and patrol further out than normal, which means that we have less resources to protect you with. Usually we're two or three people guarding one house, but since they're out now, I'll only have one person with me to guard your house, which won't be enough since you're so many." He told us, and his explanation made me some things clearer. Jake did leave earlier than everyone else from the party, telling us Sam –the pack leader –had called and told him that he was needed home at La Push.

"But why can't I be at home? There's just Charlie and me living there." I said.

"Yes, but if they attack tonight, which is very possible, that's the first place they'll look for you." Julie said in a soft voice, and I stared at her in horror. But what about Charlie? Like she had read my mind, she immediately added, "Of course someone will guard Charlie, but it's best if you're not there with him."

I stared at them in confusion. "But… if I can't be at Edward's place, or at home; where am I staying tonight?" I asked with a frown. Julie stared at me for a moment, lost in thought, when suddenly her whole face lit up in realization.

"Well, since our house isn't an option, how about your house Smith?" She asked, and as soon as her suggestion was out, I stared at her in shock. Smith's house! Was she crazy? How could I stay there?

Smith looked at me with a hesitant look. "I don't want to force you into anything." He said simply. But when I thought it through, I knew that this was the only option I had.

"Do I have a choice?" I asked with a sigh, and after a few seconds of hesitation, he shook his head.

"This is the best and only option we have."He said, and I turned my head back to look at Edward. He looked as happy as I felt about this (in other words, he wasn't), and I squeezed his hand gently and gave him a reassuring smile.

"It'll be okay." I murmured, and he looked a little bit more eased, but I could still see that he didn't like the idea at all. Then I sighed again, thinking about what was waiting ahead, and then looked at Smith.

"Fine, I'll go."

**A/N: Hope you liked it! Next chapter will be a kind of Q&A with Smith when Bella asks questions she's always wondered but never asked Smith. So if you have any questions, feel free to ask them, and I might use them in the next chapter! :) Please review!/RF **


	23. Q&A With Antonio Moretti

**Something really awful happened this week. My best friend's dad passed away in cancer, so ****I would like to dedicate this chapter to my friend.**

**Love you Elin.**

**Playlist: Only hope – Switchfoot  
Chapter 23: Q&A with Antonio Moretti **

**BPOV**

After we had decided that I was going to spend the night at his place, (which really none of us seemed to like except Smith himself) we were faced with another question; how were we supposed to get to his house?

"I…don't have a car. I ran here together with Joe." Smith confessed, and I sighed. I turned my head and looked at Julie with pleading eyes. I _really_ didn't want to go there piggyback-style, letting Smith carry me there on his back, running in full vampire speed.

"Can I borrow you car?" I asked her, and I saw how she began to smile apologetically.

"I'm sorry, _ma cheri_. I don't own a car." She said, and her surprising words made my chin drop to the floor. She…didn't own a car?

When she saw the obvious surprise in my eyes, she immediately began to explain herself. "I never really cared about things like that; it's just a waste of money. If I need a ride, I take the bus or borrow my sons' cars." She said with a shrug, and I let my eyes wander to the very entertained brothers who sat grinningly in the sofa.

"Can I borrow yours then?" I asked, now fearing what the answer highly possibly could be. Their grins grew, and they turned their head to look at each other. Like Edward and Alice, they seemed to have some kind of silent communication only siblings could use, and after a few seconds, they turned their heads back to me, and spoke together in the exact same moment.

"No."

"It's not that we don't like you; we do." Rick continued.

"It's just that we don't trust that guy with our sweet baby." Mick concluded, eyeing Smith suspiciously. Smith glared at him, and Mick grinned. "Besides, saying yes would ruin the fun." He added. I sighed again, and I knew I had no chance whatsoever to convince them otherwise.

"I can give you a ride." Edward then said; something that was so brilliant and obvious I had forgotten about it. I was thrilled about the idea, and when I looked over at Smith to tell him I thought it was a perfect idea, I saw that he obviously wasn't as happy as I was.

"That's a great idea." I said, my enthusiasm faded by the slight shock I received by just looking at his pessimistic face.

"I don't know about that." He said stiffly, staring at Edward with narrowed eyes. I felt how a small fire alit inside of my; a fire of fury. Why did he have to act like this? Letting all of his actions be ruled by his jealousy! Couldn't he just act like a grownup for once? He could at least consider the idea instead of refusing it because he had to ride in the same car as Edward.

"Well, it's either that, or walking there because I refuse to let you carry me there in your arms as you run in your insanely fast vampire speed! What is it going to be?" I retorted angrily, and by the look on his face, he had made his choice.

"Fine. But you can't stay there." He said, and I frowned. What? Was I…was I going to sleep there all alone?

"Why not?" I exclaimed, my worry clearly hearable. Smith finally looked at me, and sighed tiredly.

"Do I have to explain this again? If he comes with us, and they decide to attack, your life and his may be in danger." He said. I frowned.

"But he's just one person. I thought that only applied when there were many people involved."

He raised an eyebrow at me. "Humor me. If he follows along, and 7 other vampires attack, how am I supposed to protect you both alone?" he said, and ice settled in my stomach. "You know your safety comes first. If he was there, there's a great chance he gets killed." The thought of Edward being killed because of me made my heart ache, and after a few deep breaths I managed to make the horrible image go away.

I looked over at Edward with a sad look, and he gave me small smile saying 'I don't like this more than you do, but it's the best we've got'.

"Fine, I'll go."

***Later at Smith's house***

After a rather long (and extremely uncomfortable) ride, we finally arrived to Smith's house, which was located at the end of a small road leading deep into the woods. The twins weren't the only ones who didn't dare to borrow Smith a vehicle. Edward refused to let him drive his car, and instead told him to give him directions to his house. Smith obeyed (after a few minutes of protesting), and I was surprised their unwilling teamwork…worked.

And when I saw what we had arrived to, I was kind of in shock. Smith's house was…not what I had expected.

The house before me was small. The outside of the house had once upon a time been grey, but now the cracks that had developed through the years and the dirt that was smeared all over the wooden panel made it impossible to identify the actual present color. The windows were dark and dirty, and denied that anything lived inside those four walls.

"This…is your house?" I asked in an unsure voice. I couldn't believe it. I really hadn't thought about how his house looked, or where he lived, but this was not something I would've guessed.

"Yes." He answered briefly, but I could tell by the sound of his voice that he wasn't paying attention to me at all. His eyes searched through the dark forest, intently looked for something in the darkness. Then suddenly, he just disappeared. My eyes grew big out of worry, and I looked around me, trying to find where he had gone.

"Smith?" I called in an uncertain voice, and felt how my anxiety grew when I didn't an answer. Edward, who stood beside me, took my hand in reassurance, but I knew he was as concerned as I was. I turned around the other way and scanned through the shadows, but I couldn't find him anywhere. I sighed, and turned back to the house when suddenly, Smith stood in front of me. I jumped in surprise, and gasped.

"God, you scared me!" I exclaimed in surprise, and I thought I detected some amusement behind his stern features, but it was gone before I had a chance to inspect it further. Smith turned to Edward, and spoke in a monotone voice.

"One of the wolves is here and he's ready to take you back." I tried to look into the direction he had looked once before to see if I could spot one of the wolves that lurked in the shadows, but my too week, human senses couldn't pick out anything except trees and darkness.

Edward gave him a hard nod, and then looked at me. He hugged me softly to his chest, and I felt how I melted in his touch.

"I love you." He whispered in to my ear, and then kissed me on my cheek. The spot where he had kissed me instantly flamed as a blush spread over my face. I heard how Smith (clearly annoyed by our little lovey-dovey moment) cleared his throat in a reminder of his existence. I ignored him completely, and looked into Edward's deep green eyes as he backed away his face a few inches so we had a small space between our faces.

"I love you too." I said, my blush increasing as I did, and I saw how he smiled lovingly at me. Then, too fast for me to react, he leaned in for a second kiss, this time on the mouth. I thought I would become immune to his gorgeous looks and his passionate kisses as time went by, but boy was I wrong. My heart still raced in my chest, ready to burst out of my chest at any second.

As we departed from our kiss, I saw how he smiled a crooked grin. We stared into each other's eyes with hopeful smiles, but they didn't quite reach our eyes. I hated to be separated from him right now, but I knew it was necessary. Having him stay meant that he could be hurt, and his life meant the world to me. I would be able to survive one night without him…right?

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow then." He said, and his smile faltered and his mouth became hard. He still wasn't happy about this, I could tell, but as Smith had said before; this was our only and best shot. Before he stepped into his car, he glanced at Smith, and then gave him a slight nod. Then he got inside of his shiny, silver Volvo and drove away in the night. I turned my head to Smith, and my face wore a skeptic frown.

"What did you ask him?" He looked at me, surprised by my sudden question, and after a few seconds, he managed to retort me.

"How did you know I did?" he asked in a stunned voice, and I rolled my eyes at him. My boyfriend is a mind reader; I think you pick things up as time goes.

"I'm not blind. I saw what happened just now. What did you ask him?" I repeated in a harsher tone. I wasn't happy to be here, and unfortunately (for Smith) I took out that anger I held at him.

"It's none of your business." He retorted in an unfriendly voice, and then sighed. "Let's get you inside, it's getting cold." He said, and then began to lead me towards the house I would be staying at through the night. As we walked towards his house, I suddenly began to feel nervous. I was actually going to _stay_ here through the night, together with…_him_. I never thought I would see this day coming, but I guess I was wrong.

As we reached the door, I stopped. Opening the door looked very risky, like the whole house would fall apart if I as much as touched it.

"Go ahead, its open." He said, but I still hesitated. He sighed, and stepped around me and turned the handle. The door slowly opened, squeaking uncomfortable loud as it did. I narrowed my eyes in uncertainty, afraid what I was going to find inside. A pile of dead corpses? Dust clinging to the walls with spider webs in the ceiling, insects crawling across the floor and hiding in the corners? And what if he has stalker albums of me, complete with pictures and notes of what I did every day?

The door was now open, but I refused to open my eyes to see what was in front of me. Smith, who stood beside me, scoffed and softly laughed.

"Come on, get inside." He said in a teasing voice; something I haven't heard before, and took my hand and dragged me inside. My eyes opened, and the scene before me was nothing like the ones I had in mind. The inside of the house was nothing like the outside. It was clean and …kind of cozy. The walls were painted in a red color, and on the walls there were many different shelves and old objects that looked at least a century old. The house was as I had predicted, very small, and only had one room. In the corner of the room a small bed stood, placed beside the one and only window in the whole house.

"Wow…." I murmured, and stared at it all in astonishment. Smith grinned and walked ahead of me.

"You like it?" he asked, and turned around to look at me. I waited a few seconds to respond, thinking it through. Saying that I liked it would be a huge overstatement, but it wasn't like I disliked it or anything. I mean, it could be worse. A _lot_ worse.

"It's okay, I guess." I said, and his grin grew larger. Then, his expression became embarrassed.

"I don't own a fridge, or any food at all for that matter, so I won't be able to offer you some food for tonight." He said, and I shook my head.

"It's okay, I'm not hungry." I said, and then walked over to the bed and sat down. The silence grew in the room, and we stared at each other, not knowing what to say to one another.

"So…." Smith said, clearly embarrassed by the awkward situation.

"So." I didn't know what to say either, but I wasn't embarrassed, just very, _very_ uncomfortable.

"…is the bed alright? I don't sleep so I wouldn't know."

I looked at the bed, and then frowned as a thought hit my mind. "But if you don't sleep, why do you have a bed?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. The saleslady wouldn't stop bugging me about it, so I got it."

My frown grew as I stared at him. "So…you got a bed because someone nagged you to get it?"

"Well, if you'd like to put it like that, then yes, I got the bed because someone nagged me to. But I have to say, it was a good investment."

"And why is that?" I asked.

He raised one eyebrow at me. "If I hadn't bought this, you would be sleeping at the floor by now. And besides, just because I'm comfortable standing all night doesn't mean I don't get bored."

"Vampires get bored?" I asked skeptically.

"Of course we do! Some of us have been around for hundreds and hundreds of years; after a while, you've done everything you've possible wanted to do, and things just get boring and old." He said, and his words reminded me about our huge age difference.

"Oh, okay." I said, and silence once again filled the room. I sighed and leaned back against the wall, feeling how the fatigue began to creep in on me, but I shook it off. Sleeping was the last thing I wanted to do right now. A yawn escaped me though, and I saw in the corner of my eye how Smith eyes me worriedly.

"Maybe you should sleep now, you ought to be tired." He said, and I heard the worry in his voice. I shook my head, even though I knew he was right.

"I don't want to sleep yet, not now." I said, and lay down on the pillow and looked out the window dreamingly. I wasn't sure if I _ever _wanted to sleep in the same room as him, but I knew I had to sleep sometime tonight, and so did he.

He walked over to the bed and sat down on the floor next to it, leaning against the wall.

"But if you don't want to sleep, then what do you want to do?" he asked me, and I thought I heard some amusement in his low voice.

I continued to stare at the window, thinking about his question, when it suddenly hit me.

"Could I ask you some stuff about you? I mean, I hardly know you." I said, and he chuckled at my unusual request.

"I am yours. Ask me anything you please." He said, and I could hear judging by his voice that he was smiling. I turned around in the bed so I could look at him, and then thought of questions I wanted to ask him.

"Tell me about yourself."

He sighed, and then leaned his head back at the wall and stared up at the ceiling. "Well… As you know, I was born in Italy 1533 near a town called Siena. I was living there with my sister Flora and my mother Rita. We were living in a small village away from the city, and our days were relatively happy. I worked as a Smith in the village, and –"He said, but I interrupted him.

"A Smith?" I asked, and he chuckled.

"Yes, a Smith. That was how I adapted my name."

"But…you said that your mother-"I began to say, but he interrupted me.

"I lied. When I first came to America, I didn't want others to know I was from Italy, so I changed my name to Smith Jr. Smith, and worked constantly on my accent."

"So…what was your original name?" I asked. This was something new. When he first told me about himself at the camping, he really just scratched the surface.

"My name was Antonio Moretti. I was named after my father, who died in a battle before I was born." He told me with a slight Italian accent, and I saw some sadness in his features.

"I'm so sorry." I told him. Then he suddenly scoffed at me.

"I'm 451 years old; everyone around me that I have ever loved had died. You get over it after a while." He said with a shrug, and his words struck me. He's been around in this world so long that everyone he's known and cared about has died. And now he's saying it with a shrug, like it's nothing. God…that's something so horrible I can't imagine what it's like.

Then he shook his head and cleared his throat audibly. "Anyways, like I told you before; I was 25 years old when I turned. My sweet sister was only 16 at the time. She was getting engaged with one of the richest men in town; Luca Rossi. He wasn't a _total_ idiot like some of them were; he was kind and friendly, like a real gentleman. She was mad in love the second she met him. She wouldn't stop blabbering about him for weeks, and when he finally proposed, she was the happiest girl in the whole world..." He told me, his voice full of love and admiration when he spoke of his sister.

"That's when I met her." His words grew more glum and sad as he now spoke, and I frowned in concern.

"Who?" I dared to ask, and he looked at me with a sad smile.

"Stacy." He said, and my eyes grew big.

"Stacy? As in, the name you always call me?"

He chuckled, and stared at me with amusement. "I'm sorry about that. It's just that you remind me of her." He said, and I saw how he stared at me with sad admiration. Stacy…it wasn't just that he was bad at names…but this 'Stacy' actually existed. Maybe not anymore, but it wasn't just something from his imagination.

"Then…who was she?" he stared at the ceiling, looking at nothing, and after a few seconds, he began to explain.

"Her name was Stacy Travis, and she was beautiful. She came from America to visit her family who lived in Siena. She wasn't the kind of person who liked to live in the big city, so she stayed in our village with her servant. She was wealthy, even wealthier than Flora's husband, but she refused to act fancies than anyone else. She was…amazing. She looked a lot like you. Brown hair, brown eyes, pale skin that glowed in the moonlight.

"I met her at the village piazza, and after that I (like my sister had been with her husband) had fallen head over heels over that girl. We rest of the month she stayed there was the best we ever had. She loved me too then, I knew it, and I was planning to propose her. That's when I met Luigi. Luigi Bianchi. He had just moved into town, and after we had met, we were inseparable. Stacy just laughed at us, thinking we were hilarious. Of course, at that time, I was a fool. I didn't pay any attention to him; how pale he was, how his eyes sometimes changed color, and course the most obvious one; he only went out at night after sundown or if it was cloudy. The thought that my best friend was a vampire was just laughable at the time. But it was he who turned me."

I stared at him. So…he's stalking me and claiming to love me because I look a lot like this Stacy. And this Luigi, why did he turn him? "You said it was an accident; your change, that is. What happened?"

He grinned at me."It was like you said; an accident. It happened in my smith just as I was closing. Luigi, who at the time was very, _very _hungry, was just there to give me a note, and then he was off hunting. But unfortunately, I ruined it all. It was when I was packing away all my things, when I cut myself at one of my tools. Luigi, who was mad with hunger, attacked me, and fed from me. To turn into a vampire, you'll just have to get bitten by one, and then the venom covering our teeth will do the rest." He said, and smiled a full teeth smile, so show me his razor sharp teeth, covered with venom, that could easily get passed on as saliva.

"But…how did you survive? If he was as hungry as you say, then wouldn't he have drained you with all of your blood and leave you dead?" I asked. He nodded and the spoke.

"Surely, that's what he would've done if I was just another one of his meals. But he knew me and I knew him. He told me later that as he sucked the life out of me, he remembered all the great times we had together, and he took one look at my dying face that was twisted in pain, and just _stopped_." He told me, and they way he spoke, it seemed like he thought it was heroic done of Luigi.

"What? Is that a hard thing to do?" I asked, and he stared at me with wide eyes.

"Are you kidding me?"He scoffed. "I have trouble just stopping to feed on animals. Humans smell twice as good as they do and being as hungry as he was at the time…" he trailed off with a proud smile. "What he did to me that night…he tried his best and turning me was the only option we had."

"What happened after that?"

"I couldn't stay, of course. Being a newborn made my hunger worse than normal vampires, and I didn't want to danger my friends and family's safety. Luigi knew that too, and took me under his wing and showed me the new life I was forced to live. After we both had agreed on that point, he took me to Volterra and had me join the Volturi. That's when I discovered my powers. Aro, the ultimate leader of the Volturi saw I had great potential, and got me a high placed position in the guard. But I didn't really like it there, so I left it after 107 years by their side. It was then….Luigi died." He trailed off in a distressing voice.

"I'm so sorry…what happened?" I asked, and he sighed.

"It was all my fault…"he began, sorrow clouding his voice. "It was on our last mission together, before I left the Volturi. There was a pair of crazy vampires just outside of Paris that we had orders to kill. We got them after a short chase, and we ripped them apart to make sure they wouldn't survive the burning. Then we began to fight. He thought it was wrong of me to leave the Volturi; that I had a future there, but I was still persistent to leave. I wanted to see the world more than just Europe. But he didn't want me to leave him or the Volturi.

"So after we had burned the bodies of the vampires, we began to fight. It wasn't just a verbal fight; we began to fight with violence. It was then…I killed him. I gave him one last, hard push, which sent him into the fire. I didn't meant to kill him I just…I just wanted him to agree with me on leaving. He instantly began to scream, and as soon as I realized what I had done, I ran away. I could hear his scream in my mind all the way to Volterra, to report what I had done. None of them was pleased with what I had done, not even me. I left after that, and travelled all over the world; saw everything I had wanted to see. But the whole time I was thinking about Luigi and how everything was my fault. So that's when I moved to America and changed my name, to start on a new leaf you know." He explained, and then cleared his throat. Wow…he had really been through much. He killed his own friend. Poor guy, he was filled with guilt even now; hundreds of years later.

"Then I moved around a lot within the States, and that was when I saw you, in Alaska. You were just about to move away, since your parents were divorcing, and I couldn't believe my eyes. I thought I was dreaming at first, but the longer I observed you, the more I understood. Even though you weren't looking identically like her, your appearance and your kindness reminded me a lot of her, and I followed you as you moved to Forks with your father. But you always thought of Edward, no matter how much time passed. So that's why I removed your memories of him when you where visiting your mother in phoenix." He confessed. I stared at him with astonishment. He…he followed me around back in Alaska too?

He continued, even though he noticed my surprised gasp. "But of course, even though I removed your memories of him, you still didn't notice me. You just looked at me as just another teacher. And then you met the mutt." He almost hissed his words now. "You started to date, and that's when I convinced myself that you weren't Stacy, no matter how much I wanted it to be true. Then when you broke up with him, new hope lit up inside of me. I thought I had a new shot with you. That's when Edward came and ruined all future chances of convincing you we were meant to be together. I still tried at the camping, hoping it would work, but it was a lost cause. Of course you began to like him again, and my chance was ruined forever." He concluded, and the house then remained silent. I took a few deep breaths before I began to speak in a soothing tone.

"Smith…you do know that we never will be able to be together. It's not just that you're a vampire and I'm a human and our age difference is off the charts. You and me just simply don't are meant to be. I'm not Stacy, no matter how alike I seem to be. You need to let her go; you need to let _me_ go. I _love_ Edward, and I want to spend the rest of my life with him." I said as smooth as I could, and looked him in eye. His eyes looked back at me sadly, and then he sighed.

"I…I've always known that, but…I just never wanted to admit it." he confessed and I looked at him sadly.

"You _need _to let me live my life so you can live yours. I think…maybe, that you can be a kind person if you just stop following me around and stop treating me like your stalker object." I told him truthfully, and he chuckled.

"I know you're right, it's just hard to let something like this go."

"But you do realize that I don't want to be with you; that I want to be with Edward?" I asked, and he nodded.

"Sadly, I do."

"Good." I said. This was good. At least he could admit that he and I were something that never was going to happen.

"Was there something else you wanted to ask me before you go to sleep?" he asked with a small smile, and I scanned through my brain for some more questions.

"What about your powers? Tell me more about them. Start with the mind manipulation thing."

"Well…what is there to tell? To mind manipulate someone, they have to listen to my voice and if they're very resistant, they have to look into my eyes. I can tell them anything I want to believe or remember, and they will." He said, and then he opened his mouth like he was going to say something, but then closed it again.

"What? What is it?" I asked, and he heisted before he answered.

"I…remember in the classroom before when I tried to make you stay away from Edward?" he asked, and I nodded. "Well…You remember that it didn't work, right? Ever since that time, I have some times tried to use it on you but…it has never worked. I can't mind manipulate you anymore." He said, and I stared at him in wonder. What was he saying? I…I was immune to his mind manipulation now?

"But…how is that possible? You've been able to do it before, at the camping." I said, and I saw how his face hardened.

"Well…I have a theory."

"What?"

"I believe that the fall from the cliff changed something inside your brain. After that fall, you remembered everything that happened without my help. And Edward can't hear your thoughts either, can he? It all makes sense. After the fall, some kind of inner defense was put up inside your brain, making it impossible for anyone to get an inside look." He concluded, and I had to say his theory made sense (somewhat). After the fall, I _did_ remember it all by myself (as far as I know), and Edward hasn't been able to read as much as a glimpse of my mind.

"Wow…and you've kept this hidden from me this whole time?" I asked, slightly irritated.

"Well, yes. I didn't want to worry you when you already had all this pressure on you."

I frowned, still not very pleased with the answer. "I'd appreciate if you'd told me anyway. I'm not as fragile as you think."

He chuckled, obviously not believing my words. "I'll remember that."

"Now, what about the animal appearance? What's about that weird pink smoke?" I asked, and he actually looked embarrassed.

"I just did that because I wanted to impress you. The pink smoke has nothing to do with my transformation. I got that at some cheap magic shop at Port Angeles." He said, and I laughed.

"So, you can transform without that silly smoke?" I asked, and he nodded with a grin.

"Want to see?" he asked, and I nodded eagerly.

"Sure, go ahead."

"What should I transform to?" he asked, and I thought about it for a few seconds, when I sighed, clueless.

"Just transform to your favorite appearance." I said, and he smiled, clearly amused.

"Alright then." He said, and in a blink of an eye, he was standing up in the middle of the room. Then, his body sort of shifted, and became small and furry, and before I knew it, a small puppy was standing before me. I began to laugh hysterically and he frowned at me with his yellow eyes.

"What is it?" he asked, clearly confused why I was so amused by his appearance.

"A puppy? Your favorite appearance is a puppy?" I really couldn't understand it. A puppy, of all the animals in the whole, damn world? Why was that his favorite? I mean, he couldn't have picked something cooler like an eagle or a wolf, but…a puppy?

"What?" he asked slightly irritated while staring at me with his puppy eyes. "When I'm a puppy, people treat me different, even you." He said, and I knew he was right. If a cute puppy came up to me, would treat it like a newborn baby; gently. If I met Smith... I wouldn't. I would clearly avoid him.

"Sorry I was just…taken by surprise. But what happens to your clothes?" I asked, noticing it now. The body of the small puppy was covered with fur, but that was all. No piece of clothing was left behind after his transformation.

"It sort of stays with my original form, and when I transform back…" he said, and his puppy body grew, all colors smearing together, he changed back to his original form. "They're on." He said, and gestured with his hand to prove his point. I smiled, and then suddenly, I unwillingly yawned loudly. He grinned, and in a blink of an eye, he was beside me.

"You should really sleep now." He said, and pushed me down to the pillow. I kicked off my shoes, and crawled under the covers. He smiled, not so much creepy like he used to, but more like a father smiles at his daughter. He patted my head slightly, and then he sat down beside the bed quietly. I could argue against him, but I really felt tired now. Like all my energy had been sucked out of me just by talking. I yawned once again, and snuggled up against the pillow and closed my eyes.

"Goodnight Bella." He called, but his voice was already sounding further away than it should.

"Goodnight Smith. You better protect me or I'll kick your ass on the other side." I mumbled sleepily. I heard him chuckle at me and when I heard his next words I wasn't sure if I was dreaming them or not.

"That's impossible. An angel like you can't meet someone like me in hell…"


	24. Unusual surprises

**Chapter 24: Unusual surprises **

**BPOV**

It was the crack of lightning outside the house that woke me up the morning after. I stirred in my bed, still dazed from my previous dream which involved something to do with angels and devils and flying pies. I rubbed my eyes slowly to make my vision clearer, and found myself staring into Smith's yellow-brown eyes. I let out a scream in surprise, feeling how the adrenaline began to pump into my veins, and I backed up against the wall, staring at him uneasily.

"So you're awake now?" He said in an amused tone, ignoring my surprised actions. Then he slowly stood up in a human pace and walked to the middle of the room. I frowned in confusion, still breathing heavily form the shock and fear I just had received. What did he mean by 'you're awake now'? And why was he staring at me like that? It's freaking creepy!

"What the hell? What are you doing? Staring at me like that is scary!" I exclaimed after a few seconds of deep breathing, and placed my hand on my chest, feeling how my heart raced beneath it.

He chuckled, and folded his arms in front of his chest. "Well, I apologize. I promise I didn't stare at you like that the whole night; it was just that I had to check that you were awake this time. There have been many false alarms." He said with amusement. I instantly felt how my cheeks began to flush, and I buried my face in my hands. I spoke in my sleep? Crap! I hate when I do that… It's so freaking embarrassing, and since he was awake the whole night, I'm sure he heard it all.

"Oh no! What did I say?" I groaned in despair, and dared to peek at him through my fingers.

He now laughed at me, and I felt how I got more worried by the second. "You were mostly rambling. You did speak of Edward a lot I noted." He said, and I blushed once again. He could be lying to me, I wasn't sure. Maybe I've told him all of my darkest secrets, and now he just pretends like it's nothing…

I sighed, and looked out the window and saw how the rain furiously hit the window, smattering as it did. "Well, beside from my rambling, did tonight go okay?" I asked, still looking out the window.

"Well, actually it did. We _were_ attacked a few times, but I managed to handle it." He answered, and I gasped in surprise, and I turned around to stare at him with wide, shocked eyes. I felt how my limbs began to freeze from the horror I felt. What was he talking about? An attack? _Here_? And not just one, but _several_?

"We were attacked?" I exclaimed in horror, and I think Smith saw the panic that began to spread on my face, and slowly walked over to me, and then sat down, soothingly stroking my cheek with one hand, and holding me shoulder with the other.

"It's okay, don't worry. About one hour after you fell asleep, a few of them tried to attack. The werewolf that escorted Edward home returned in time to help me. They were four, and we were able to kill two the first time, the other ones got away. The next attack was half an hour later, and the two that had fled returned. It was amazing that you managed to sleep it through, really. We were hardly quiet." He said, and I stared at him. I…slept through _2_ whole attacks? How is that even possible?

"Did you kill the other two as well?" I asked, and he grinned.

"Yes, of course. They weren't much of a challenge to the two of us, even though they were newborns."

I felt how my heart pumped eagerly inside my chest, and after a few minutes of calm thinking and deep breathing, I managed to slow its pace down to a normal rate. I looked out the window, and felt a surge of uneasiness. Was Edward okay? If we were attacked this night, what happened to him? And what about Charlie?

"I think we should go now." Smith stated after a few seconds of silence, and I frowned at him in confusion.

"Go where?"

He laughed at me, and raised his eyebrows at me. "I'm surprised you haven't asked me yet. Don't you humans eat breakfast?" he asked, and just the thought of food made my stomach growl in hunger. I blushed, and Smith laughed some more. I got out of his bed, and as I stood up, I saw my reflection in the window, and I groaned. My hair was (as always after sleeping) a total mess, and looked more like a haystack than anything remotely close to be my hair.

"Do you have, by any chance a hairbrush I could borrow?" I asked Smith, and gave me an apologetic smile as he shook his head.

"I'm sorry, but I don't. I'm afraid you'll have to wait until I can get you home, or at least to Edward's place." He said, and meeting Edward sounded better than perfect right now.

"Okay let's go." I said and began to head for the door when I realized something; I had no idea _where_ we were going. I turned around and looked into his dark eyes."Where are we going again?"

He flashed me a mysterious grin. "You'll see."

***Later***

I sat down at one of the many empty tables and took a sip of my coffee I had in my hand. Smith sat down on the opposite side and frowned at me.

"Are you really sure you're just eating that?" he asked and pointed at the small sandwich I had gotten. I nodded and took another sip of my delicious, hot coffee.

"Do I have to remind you I'm the human of the two of us?" I asked and felt a little irritated since this was the third time he's asked this. After we had left the house, we'd taken his car to the only coffee shop in town. His car had been hidden behind the house this whole time, and by just a look inside it you could tell it hadn't been used in a long time. Smith claimed that was because he preferred running to driving.

"But just eating that…" he said, but became silent as he saw my glare. I returned to my coffee and felt hot the warm liquid ran down my throat, deciding that the best thing was to ignore him the rest of my meal. I glumly looked out the window, observing how the rain smattered down on the streets, making the very few citizens of Forks city that were up this morning to seek cover under the nearest roof or umbrella. Another lightning beam flashed across the sky, and I felt how my already bad mood faltered.

I didn't like lightning. When I lived in Forks before I had moved to Alaska, I was afraid of the lightning. Every time there was a storm or just bad weather, I used to curl up to a ball and hide under my covers and wait until it all was over. But all that changed when I moved to Alaska and met Edward. Edward taught me that I didn't have to be afraid. So when I then moved after a few years, lightning didn't bother me at all…until the night when Smith erased all my memories.

The night he took all my memories away was a stormy night. Thunder echoed every tenth second, and lightning flashed outside the hospital window more than I could count. When Smith then left me, I was left with an uneasy feeling and the horrible storm outside my window. So then I was scared of thunder…again. But now when I have regained all of my memories, I just get mad when I hear thunder or see a flash of lightning outside my window. It all reminds me of the night when he came and made me forget.

I glanced at Smith sourly, and he frowned at me.

"What? I haven't said anything!" he exclaimed in confusion and frustration, and I looked away from him so I could calm down a bit. Even though I had gained some respect for him (_some_) after last night's story, I still hadn't forgiven him for steeling my memories for two years.

I shook my head with a sigh, and then rose from my seat. "Shouldn't we get to the Cullen's?" I asked, wanting to get to Edward as soon as possible. If we had been attacked, how were them?

When I suddenly realized I had no idea how Edward and the rest of the Cullen's were, I started to panic. What if we weren't the only ones that got attacked last night? And Charlie! What about him? Are-

My thoughts got interrupted by a small pat on my left shoulder, and I turned to look into Smith's calm yet amused eyes. "Calm down, you look like you're going to have a panic attack any second now. I see that you're worried about them, and I can tell you that they're fine; all of them."

"Even Charlie?"

He laughed, and the sound of it made me slightly calmer. "Yes, even Charlie. They're all fine; we were the only one who got attacked." As soon as the words I for so long had wanted to hear exited his mouth, I let out a sigh in relief. _They were okay; they were all okay…_

But now when I knew that they all were okay, the urge to see them suddenly increased violently. It was like a switch was turned on inside my head, making all the love and longing that I held for them and had neglected the whole morning, explode into my mind. I turned to Smith and looked at him with a pleading look, and even though I hadn't even begun to speak, he let out a big sigh.

"Can we go to them now? It's not too early." I knew that they all were up by now, so we were hardly risking walking in on them sleeping.

"Alright, alright. Are you sure you don't want any more food?" he asked, and I shook my head and resisted the urge to glare coldheartedly at him.

"I'm fine, let's go already."I said impatiently and headed for the exit of the shop, Smith following my example, muttering something I couldn't hear.

***At the Cullen's house***

Smith turned the car off, and got out in the cold autumn air. As I had guessed, everyone in the house was already up and ready to go. Through the giant glass windows positioned all around the modern house you could see them all running around, preparing things for the day and doing their morning tasks.

Together, the two of us began to walk towards the house, but in a sudden movement too fast for the human eye to see, Smith stationed himself protectively in front of me, hunched over in an animalistic movement and let out a low yet warningly growl. My veins froze to ice as I stopped in my steps, and I glanced over his shoulder after the threat he had reacted on. Another vampire? Here?

Suddenly, he just stopped, and stood up straight. Worriedly, I continued to scan the edge of the forest after new appearances, but nothing caught my eye, which made me more frustrated.

"What's happening?" I asked in a confused hush, and he scoffed.

"You scared me half to death, which is a hard thing to do since I'm technically already dead." He said in a higher voice than needed, but his words were not directed towards me, I noticed. Then, suddenly out of nowhere, Jake stepped out of the forest, chuckling slightly as he did.

"Sorry about that. I know my entire body reeks of you bloodsuckers." Jake said, wrinkling his nose in disgust. Then he turned his eyes towards me, and his gaze turned much gentler. "Hey! Glad you could make it Bells. I take it that he didn't make a snack out of you during the night?" he said jokingly, and raised his hand as a greeting.

I grinned back at him, and stepped around Smith to get a better look of him. "Yeah, it's a miracle that I'm alive, judging by the facts that I stayed at _his_ house." I retorted teasingly, giving Smith a glance who didn't look as amused as we were.

"You _do_ realize that I'm standing right here and can here every single word that you're saying?" he said in an annoyed voice, and I chuckled at his displeased expression.

"Well-"I began, just about to make another joke when the door to the house opened, and Edward appeared. As soon as our eyes met, I felt how my heart began to race, and both of our faces proceeded to smile.

"Bella." He said and made his way over to me. He took me into his arms and hugged me tightly to his chest. I heard how Alice giggled at his brother in the background, and how Jake laughed out loud at his sudden action, but no one commented what he did.

"I missed you so much." I told him truthfully, and hugged him back (though not as hard as he was hugging me).

"Not more than me." he said, but I'm not sure if I could agree with him on that. After a few seconds he released me a little so we could look into each other's faces and then spoke.

"I'm glad you're back." Then he kissed me; a soft kiss that made me blush furiously under my ivory colored skin. Alice cheered in joy in the background, and that's when I realized that we weren't the only ones there.

"Done yet?" Smith said, sounding a little bit pissed. Edward gave him a small glare, but released me completely and turned his head to Jake, who was still snickering from where he stood.

"Did everything go well last night?" he asked him, and Jake grinned.

"Yeah. I was with the group that patrolled further than normal, and we found several groups of vampires that were searching the area under the orders of their boss. We managed to kill them all." He said proudly.

"That would explain the smell." Smith muttered, but since Jake had inherited better hearing since after he became a werewolf, he heard him perfectly and shot him a glare.

"Anyways," he continued, sounding more annoyed than before."We believe that they're working for the same boss as that other vampire did."

"That's very likely…." He began but then stopped and looked at Edward. "Perhaps we should continue this conversation elsewhere." Just has he had said those words; Esme appeared in the doorway beside Alice with a warm smile.

"Edward where did you- Bella, Jacob! I'm glad that you came! Emmet will be so glad to hear that." She told us smilingly, and then turned to Smith. "I don't believe that we have met."

In a blink of an eye, like you had turned on a switch, Smith turned into his old, friendly self that he used around humans, and smiled friendly back at her. "No, I don't think so either. I am Mr. Smith, Alice's, Edward's and Bella's math teacher. It's pleasure to meet you Mrs. Cullen."

"Oh, what a surprise! What brings you here Mr. Smith?" she asked, and for a second, panic began to stir in my mind. What possible excuse could he tell her?

"Ah, I came to see the game. The coach of the team, Mr. Beck, is a dear friend of mine, and when I heard that Bella and the others were going to the game, I decided to come with them." he lied, and his face gave nothing away of the truth. Esme smiled, and stepped aside in the doorway, making a gesture for us to come inside. Esme was hardly gullible, but she often trusted people more than she should.

"Well come in; all of you! You must be freezing out here!" he gushed and made the four of us come inside to the warm house. We all went inside to the living room, and there we were met by Carlisle and Rosalie. She turned as she saw us coming, but when she noticed that they had unexpected guests, her face fell a little.

"Oh, hello Bella. I was glad you could come." She said with a warm and friendly smile, and then turned her gaze to Smith. Her smile disappeared from her face, and left it with a suspicious look.

"And who are you?" she said in a not so accusingly tone, and he chuckled.

"I'm Mr. Smith, Edward's, Alice's and Bella's math teacher. I know the coach of the football team, so I came to watch as well." He said, but you could see that Rosalie didn't quite believe his lies. She nodded, and then looked at Jake.

"You again. What was your name? I forgot." She said, and she was slightly friendlier this time.

"I'm Jake, Bella's friend." He simply explained, and she nodded. Then she looked at Alice with a slightly pleading face. Alice, who was no mind reader, understood what she meant, and took a seat beside her in the sofa. Edward's eyes grew big, and he stared at Rosalie wit bewilderment and surprise.

"What is it?" I whispered to him, aware that Smith and Jake could hear me perfectly. But Edward just shook his head, refusing to tell me what he had heard in Rosalie's head, and leaned in towards my ear.

"She'll tell you soon enough." Was all he said, and then he looked back at the others. Carlisle stood up, and shook Smith's hand.

"Hello, I'm Carlisle, and that's my wife, Esme." He said, pointing at Esme, who stood beside the sofa. "Why don't you all take a seat?" he offered, and we all did, spreading out in the many seats around the room. I saw how Rosalie was deep in thought. It looked like she was mustering up courage or something, taking deep breaths every few seconds, closing and opening her nervous eyes. Then, she took another deep breath and was just about to speak.

"Ehm, I need to tell-"she began, but was interrupted as Emmet came bouncing down the stairs. His slightly curly, brown hair was a little wet, and he was dressed in his team's football shirt.

"You're all here! Great, the more the better!" he said, glancing around the room with a pleasant grin, staring at his newly arrived guests. He walked over to Smith and shook his hand just like Carlisle, but his presentation was a little bit different than his.

"Hey, I'm Emmet; star and leader of the team." He said with a grin, and Smith smiled back.

"I'm Smith, Bella's, Edward's and Alice's math teacher." Smith said once again, and Emmet gave him a slap on the back.

"Well, I hope you'll enjoy the game professor!" he said jokingly, and when I thought about it, I honestly don't think Emmet would've who he was or why he was there. He sat down next to Rosalie, who looked a little displeased and uncomfortable that he had entered just when he did, but I couldn't quite understand why. He put her arm around her like he always did, and at that exact moment, a disgusted grimace flashed over her face. She immediately got up, and walked out of the room in a swift phase.

"I'll be right back." She called as she disappeared out of the room, and the rest of us stared after her with confused looks (All of us who weren't mind readers and fortune tellers).

Emmet's face was a mixture of sadness and confusion, and he dropped his face into his hands with a sigh. "I have no idea what's with her; she's been avoiding me all day."

Edward, who already had a hint of what was going on, patted his brother consolingly on his back, which made Emmet look up at him. "I'm sure it's fine. You're probably just imagining things." He told him with a smile, and Emmet grinned back at him.

"You're probably right." He agreed. Esme looked at her son with a worried look he couldn't see, but Carlisle saw the face of his concerned wife, and gave her a reassuring look back that told her that everything would be alright. Smith frowned and looked around, not really sure what to do, and just before the room settled in a uncomfortable silence, Rose returned with her brother, and judging by the look on her face, she looked a lot more calm and content .

"Hey guys. Shouldn't we go now? It's half an hour left until the game starts." Jasper announced, tapping his clock, and Emmet's eyes widened as he understood the situation: we were late.

"Crap! Come on everybody; let's go!" he hurried out the door before anyone could utter a word, and without really having to say anything, the rest of us followed his example and began to leave as well. Smith told me on our way out that he would be driving ahead in his car as fast as he could and check the football field before we got there after any threats. I nodded in agreement, and followed Edward to his car together with Jake. Emmet had already disappeared with his gigantic Jeep and Carlisle and Esme was kind enough to drive the twins since he had left them there without a car. Alice tagged along with Rosalie for some unexplained reason, and chatted happily with her as they made their way to Dr. Carlisle's car.

Edward started the silver Volvo with a roar, and drove smoothly but swiftly out on the highway.

"How did it go last night?" Edward asked as the car escalated forward in high speed. It was times like these that I really appreciated that the seatbelt was invented.

Jake, who sat in the backseat, leaned forward with much enthusiasm, and grinned at me. "Nothing R-rated I hope." I gave him a punch in his arm, but sadly enough, it was probably only me who was damaged by it. I cussed under my breath because of the pain the punch had caused, and I heard how he chuckled.

"No, but seriously; what happened? Quil was the one outside Smith's house and he didn't notice anything suspicious from you guys." He said, and I fought the urge to punch him again, knowing I would be the only one who would get hurt.

"_Nothing_ happened, Jake." I hissed, starting to get really annoyed this time, but he just laughed some more and held his hands up in the air in defeat.

"Alright, alright. Take it easy Bells, it's just a joke." He chuckled, and I took a few deep breaths before I answered Edward's question.

"It went okay, I guess. We just talked a little, and then I fell asleep." I said, not mentioning exactly _what_ we were talking about. Repeating Smith's life story was something I hardly was in the mood for.

"He told me in his mind that there was an attack last night at your house. What happened?" he asked and I was just about to tell him the truth; that I was asleep during the whole thing, so I honestly didn't know, but Jake answered him for me in an excited voice.

"Oh! That fight was glorious! You see there were these two vampires…" he began, explaining in detail exactly how the fight went down, and I just sat there and listened, wondering the whole time how I could've slept through something like that.

It was just around the time that Jake was done explaining that we arrived to the football field. The parking lot was full of cars, and lots of people were making their ways to the bleachers already. Emmet's car was already parked in the edge of the parking lot, and he was probably already in the team's locker room, getting ready for the game. The three of us got out of the car and I was just about to ask the others were when a pair of cold hands covered my eyes and a arm took a hold by my waist. Yelped in surprise and slight fear, not knowing who or _what_ was doing this until I heard the familiar voices of the Lewis twins.

"Do you have _any_ idea how long we have waited for you guys?" Rick or Mick asked me sourly with audibly irritation in his voice. I removed his hand from my eyes, and turned around with a step back, taking a good look at them. Even though it was September, the weather had taken a turn to the worse, and now had sunk to an unreasonably cold degree. Both of them wore black, thick jackets with fashionable scarf's around there neck, and their hands were resting in their jackets' pockets, warming them from the uncomfortable cold.

"Rick! Mick!"

Rick sighed and gave me a glare. "Yes, were here, isn't it obvious? Mom told us to be here yesterday; you where there."

"But didn't arrive here as promised. Instead, you decided to come an hour later than expected." Mick sourly added, and I now understood why they were so mad at me.

"Oh gosh, I'm so sorry! I swear it wasn't intentional." I gushed, embarrassed by my bad manners. How long had these two waited out here in the freezing cold?

"Yeah, yeah, save your apologies." Rick muttered and began to walk towards the field along with his brother. "The game starts in 15 minutes. I suggest we all go there before all the good seats are taken."

I was just bout to follow them when two different hands held me back; one freezing cold and one smoldering hot.

"Smith and I will scout around the area during the game just to make sure that there isn't any possible threat in the area." Jake said, and for once his face was sternly looking back at me.

I swallowed audibly before I could answer. "Are you sure? You can get hurt-"I began to protest, but Smith interrupted me with a glare.

"Bella, you need to understand the gravity in this. Yes, we _might_ get hurt, but as long as there's a slight chance that _you _might get killed, we're willing to risk that." He said, and without another word, he left me with Edward and disappeared into the dark woods.

***At the game***

It didn't take long for the other 5 to arrive to the scene as well, and we all got seated. Edward, Jasper, Rick and Mick sat one row above me, Alice and Rosalie. Mr. and Mrs. Cullen both decided that we 'youngsters' deserved some free time, and sat several benches away from us. Alice smiled contently and chatted with me and Rosalie about various things, and behind me I heard how Jasper excitedly explained for the others what the teams' different strengths and weaknesses were. Rick and Mick gladly joined in, and I heard every now and then how Edward chuckled and said a few words or so.

The game soon began, and even though the crowd wasn't large, we all sure made some noise. Emmet ran with the ball past his opponents and tackled them when needed. He was almost at the finish when the other team's largest, defensive player was the only one left to surpass. It didn't look very promising, and just before the large man was about to tackle him, Emmet did something unexpected. He let out a growl; a furious growl, like he was a mad man escaping from the loony bin. The other player, despite his size, flinched in his tackle, and Emmet successfully ran passed him and made the team's first goal. He cheered loudly, and turned towards the audience.

"Oh no…" Rosalie groaned, hiding her face in her hands in embarrassment. I was just about to ask what was wrong when Emmet began to shout her name.

"Rose! Rose! Did you see that? Rose? ROSE!" he yelled, making the other spectators turn around in their seats, looking for the mysterious 'Rose' that Emmet kept calling for. She knew he wouldn't stop yelling unless she gave him a sign that she had heard and seen everything, so she gave him a small but noticeable thumbs-up, and he smiled happily, and returned to the other players once again. She sighed and looked up from her hands.

"This happens _every time_ I go to one of his games!" She said with a frustrated look, and you could see the embarrassment this had cost her by looking at her rosy cheeks. Alice giggled, knowing her brother to his bones, and soothingly patted her back.

"You know he only means for the best. Besides, even if we _did_ tell him that he was embarrassing both you _and _himself, I hardly think he would stop doing it." She said, and Rose shook her head whilst smiling.

"That stupid, stupid man I happen to love…" she said with a happy sigh, and adoringly watched her boyfriend as he ran across the field along with his teammates. I was just about to say something else when a cold hand touched my shoulder. I shrieked in surprise, and turned my head only to be met by Smith's serious eyes.

"Would you mind talking to me a second?" he said, and I nodded, not knowing what he wanted, and excused myself from the others. I got up from my seat and followed him off the bleachers, and from the corner of my eye, I saw Edward and Alice follow us.

"What is it?" Edward asked, his tone grave, and after a few seconds, I saw how his eyes grew in panic.

"We have to get her out of here!" he exclaimed, and I worriedly looked from one face to another, not understanding what was happening.

"What are you talking about? Tell me!"

Smith turned his stern eyes towards me, and spoke in a monotone. "They're here. The vampires are here." His words almost made my heart stop in fright, and I felt how it began to race inside my chest. _They're here. The vampires are here. What about all these people? What if they get hurt? I have to do something? What if we use me as bait and lead them to the forest far away-_

My thoughts didn't get any further when both Alice and Edward stared at me with a terrified and enraged look. "NO!"

"W-What?" I stammered, not understanding what they were yelling about.

"Don't you _ever_ have such thoughts again!" Edward almost hissed, and I felt a jolt of pain flash through my chest as he directed those words to me in that unkind voice.

"But I thought you said you _couldn't_ read my mind!" I said in confusion, not understanding how they both knew what I had thought. Alice, whose eyes were sparkling with tears of fear and anger, gave me a fierce glare.

"No he can't. But _I_ can see what you're planning Bella, and I don't like it _one bit_. What were you thinking? Something dangerous like that-!" she began to yell when Smith interrupted her.

"Could you please calm down? All of you!" Jake, who no one of us had known was there, said in a loud, clear voice that made us all quiet. He sighed deeply, his face twisting in a concerned grimace, and then shook his head.

"We can't just stand here and yell at each other; that won't work. We have to think of a plan!" he said, and Alice, who still was upset with my plan, crossed her arms in front of her and then had a dreamingly look on her face, like she was far, far away.

"What are you seeing? What are they planning?" Smith asked, his eyes fixed on her distant ones, and after a few silent seconds, she answered us all. "We have to stay here. They're deciding what to do judging on what we will do. If we get out of here now, they'll come after us and most likely kill us all, but they're all determined on not attacking if we're staying. They had orders about it." she said, and I saw how Edward frowned.

"I can hear them as well. They're fighting the urge to come here and …and suck us dry, but their boss specifically told them not to. None of them are very fond of this boss of theirs. He hasn't told them his name, just that they should call him L." He said, looking a bit like Alice as he stared into nothing, listening to the thoughts of the hungry vampires that waited in the shadows of the forest.

"How many are there?" I dared to ask, afraid that I wouldn't like the answer.

"There're three of them." They all answered together, knowing this because of their supernatural abilities. Sometimes I just wished I had some sort of ability like that as well, so I wasn't the last one to know everything all the time.

"Then what should we do? We have to leave sometime." I asked, confused and quite scared.

"We know." The twins' voices scared me, and I swiftly turned around to see them standing next to each other with their hands in their pockets.

"I'll give you credit; that's not such a bad plan." Edward said, and soon after that, Alice smiled contently. "That would work." She happily said with a relieved smile.

"What plan?" Smith said, asking the question we all wanted to ask (we who weren't mind readers and psychics, that is).

The twins grinned together, and walked over to me, standing on either side of me. "This is what we do. You," Rick said, and pointed at Jake. "will call your little dog buddies and make them come over here to help us. Then, before the game is over, you kill them together with Smith, end of story." Their easygoing tone made the task sound simple, but even if it was easy, I would still be worried sick about them all the whole time they would be gone.

"Let's do it." Smith said, and before I knew it, he was gone. Jake shrugged with a grin, and walked over to me to give me a hug, ignoring the twins who looked quite unhappy about his action.

"Don't worry, everything will be fine." He said, holding me tight to his chest. A few tears escaped from my eyes, and I hugged him back. This was all so overwhelming. You couldn't go anywhere these days without risking you and your friends' life, and I hated it.

"You better be right about that." I muttered, and he laughed at my unhappy tone. He patted me on my back, and then let me go. He wiped away the few tears that had been able to run down my cheek, and then gave me a soft kiss on my head.

Alice, who wasn't happy at all about this, cleared her throat in a clear sign of her disapproval. Jake rolled his eyes with a grin, making me laugh, even though that was the last thing I wanted in that moment. Alice knew that I loved Edward with my whole heart, but she always got worried when she saw me and Jake together, since we used to date. Sure, we still loved each other, but not like _lovers_, more like siblings. He was like the brother I never had.

"Alright, go! Or they'll change their minds and attack us anyway." She said sourly, and he followed her order, and walked away from the bleachers, towards the forest. I stared after him with a hurting feeling in my chest, and Alice was just about to say something when the twins grabbed me by my shoulders and began to drag me backwards.

"Wah! What are you doing?" I exclaimed, struggling to walk backwards without falling down completely under their hold.

"The game isn't over, you know." One of them said, I had no idea which since I couldn't see their faces.

"Besides," The one to the right added. "The risk of getting attacked is much larger if we're separated from the others in the crowd."

I saw the confused yet amused looks of Edward and Alice, and I pleadingly stared after them, but none of them made an effort to help me out of this mess, and just followed along with the others. We managed to get back to our seats without stealing too much attention, and Rosalie smiled gratefully as we arrived. Alice kissed Jasper on the cheek lovingly, which he retorted by hugging her fondly.

"Where were you? You missed so many goals already!" Rosalie asked as we all sat down on our seats. I had no idea what to answer, so I stayed silent and let the others answer it for me.

"Smith just told us that he had to go home and get something." Alice lied fluently as she smiled brightly.

"Oh man, you should've seen this goal that Emmet did!" Jasper exclaimed, and began to explain the amazing goal that Emmet managed to score 2 seconds before halftime. The game continued without any problems, and about 30minutes later, the referee blew his whistle, and everyone in the crowd began to cheer; Emmet's team had won by 30 points.

"Pay up." Jasper said with a grin, and held out a hand towards the twins, who solemnly handed over the money to Jasper. Both of them muttered something inaudibly in French (I think), and both Alice and I laughed at their defeated faces.

"Maybe you shouldn't bet on things like this if you're sore losers." Alice said smugly, and the rest of us laughed as they launched into an argument that didn't even make sense. All of us began to stand up and follow the crowd when we saw a few familiar faces standing a few feet away from the bleachers.

Jake, Smith, Sam, Quil and Embry stood together in a cluster together, smiling proudly at each other. The werewolf boys (except Jake) didn't wear any shirts, and as they saw us coming, Jake called for us.

"Bella! Edward! Over here!" He yelled over the crowd, waving us over, and as we walked over to them, I hoped for the best.

"Did everything go okay?" I asked as soon as we reached them, and the second my question was out, they all began to cheer.

"Are you kidding? It went great!" Quil said with a grin, and then Sam made small gestures not seen by the others except me, to tell them not to say anything revealing about either vampires or werewolves since everyone in our company didn't know they existed.

"Why aren't you wearing any shirts?" Rose asked them suspiciously.

Smith answered at ease before anyone else could, and lied smoothly. "My car broke down, so these lovely gentlemen helped me fix it. Unfortunately, their shirts got oily, so they removed them so the car seats wouldn't get dirty as I drove them here." His explanation wasn't really the most logical one, but since Rose was the best mechanical in the whole town, she just sighed happily with a knowing look.

"Been there, done that." She said with a grin, and the boys laughed along, not commenting it.

"Bella, when are you coming down to La Push? It was ages since you came to visit!" Embry asked me, and Quil joined in.

"Yeah, it used to be so much fun when you were there! And then Jake became all-"Jake clamped his hand over his mouth before he could say anything else, and gave him a fierce look.

"I'll come over once I have the time." I promised them, and they grinned happily, satisfied with my answer.

"We should probably go now." Sam announced.

"Sure. Here, take my car, I don't need it." Smith said, and gave Sam his keys. He looked slightly confused, but accepted them.

"But how do you get home?" Jasper asked, also finding it a little strange that Smith just _gave_ him his car.

"I'll ride with my friend, the coach of the team." He said, and then said goodbye, and disappeared in the crowd. I knew that he was lying, and that he would follow us home and make sure there weren't any vampires there, but I kept my mouth shut and just kept on walking together with the others. Suddenly, Edward grasped my hand, and as I looked at him, our eyes met. At that moment, I knew we both felt the same way; happy and relieved that we had made it out of here alive.

In the parking lot, we met Carlisle, Esme and a very, _very _happy Emmet. He was like a child in a candy shop, jumping around like he was high on sugar.

"BELLS! WE DID IT! WE WON!" He yelled, and then proceeded to lift me up in the air like a toddler and spin me around.

"Emmet? What are you doing?"I screamed, and after a few seconds of spinning (and laughing from the others parts), he let me down. Edward immediately came to my side, and held me up straight so I wouldn't fall over. My head was spinning and I felt extremely dizzy.

"Are you okay Bella?" He asked, and I managed (somewhat) to answer him after a few seconds of heavy breathing.

"I'm…fine…" I panted, and the more time that went, the clearer the world became.

"Are you sure honey?" Esme asked in a concerned voice, her eyes scanning me worriedly.

"Yes, Esme. Thank you for your concern." I said, and after a minute or two, I was completely fine and could walk again. I gave Emmet a small glare before I jumped into Edward's car, but he just laughed back, and then climbed into his own jeep. Edward started the car, and it didn't take long before we were out on the road. Once we were driving away from the game, I finally let myself relax.

***At the Cullen's house***

We all sat down in the living room and talked about all sorts of things (but mostly the game), when suddenly Emmet stood up, grinningly.

He cleared his throat, and then began to speech. "I just wanted to thank you all for coming, you were great support!" He said, and we chuckled.

"And I thank _you_ for not making me lose all my money." Jasper said, and then chuckled at the twins' reaction, which we all laughed at. Emmet grinned, and then looked at Edward.

"Edward and Jasper, would you please be so kind to help me get the champagne?" He asked, and the two boys stood up and followed him out of the room.

"We'll help too." The twins said, and then exited the room as well, leaving Rosalie, Alice and me with Mr. and Mrs. Cullen.

"Good, now we're alone." Alice said, and then gave Rosalie a soft push on her leg. "Do it now." She said, and Rosalie's face suddenly became very nervous and hesitant.

"What's the matter Rosalie?" Esme asked, suddenly worried about the nervous girl in front of her.

Rose took a few deep breaths before answering her. "I have something to tell you guys. I figured I should tell you before Emmet; he would freak out."

"What is it?"Carlisle asked, curious and worried about what she was going to say. Alice apparently already knew absolutely everything, and patted her knee softly in support. Personally, I had no clue of what she was going to say.

"I…" she trailed off, mustering her courage to say the whole thing, and then took a deep breath. "I'm pregnant."

A crash was heard from behind me, and we all turned around to see what it was. Emmet stood frozen in the kitchen doorway with his hands held out, like he was holding something that wasn't there anymore, and on the floor was the broken bottle of champagne, its liquid spread out in a pond in front of him. The others stood behind him, shocked as well.

"Oh crap…" Rose muttered.

His eyes were wide as he stared at her, and then he began to speak (if you can call what he did speak). "Y-Y-ou…I-I-I….W-W-W-We…" he stammered, not one complete sentence coming out of his mouth. And then he ran out the door. The room stayed silence for a few seconds, and then people reacted.

"We'll go check on him. He's just in chock." Jasper said, and then he, Edward and the twins disappeared out the door going after Emmet. Rose sighed, and turned around to Carlisle and Emmet, who were staring at her as well, both of them in chock.

"That's why I wanted to tell you before him." She explained, and I saw how tears began to develop in her eyes.

"Am…I going to be a grandmother?" She asked, shocked whilst holding one hand on her chest, and the other one grasping Carlisle's tightly.

"Yes. You're both going to be grandparents." She said with a smile, and Esme squealed in happiness. She hugged her with much enthusiasm, and it didn't take long before she started crying.

"Congratulations!" I told her, and gave her a hug as well. She hugged me back, and her face was alit with a glorious smile. Rose was one of those persons who really loved kids. She was working part time as a kindergarten teacher, and every time she saw a kid, a loving smile always painted her lips. She was like Esme; both of them were born to be mothers.

"This is great news! I am so happy for the two of you!" Carlisle said with a proud smile, and Alice giggled.

"I think he's coming back now." She announced, and just as promised, Emmet bolted through the door, and ran over to Rose. Edward and the others sonly reentered as well, but they were much quieter about their entrance.

"I'm sorry I ran away I was just-"

"Shocked? Terrified?"She suggested for him, half pissed, half joking and he shook his head.

"Yes, but not all. I was _happy_ when you said that and if what you are saying is true…" He trailed off, waiting for a sign for her to confirm that it was, and when she nodded, he continued, smiling. "Then I, Emmet Anthony Cullen, would be more than thrilled to raise this baby with you." He declared, and Alice squealed. Rose smiled, and walked over to him. She kissed him lovingly, and then laughed as he squinted down on his knees and put his head to her stomach. If you looked quite hard you could see the small bulge right between her hips that stood out, but it was hardly eye catching.

"Baby, it can't hear you." She told him, but he didn't listen. He just sat there and patted her stomach whilst talking soothingly to it. We all laughed, and Esme dried her tears that still lingered on her cheeks.

"How many weeks has it been?" Esme asked, and Rose smiled as she stroked Emmet's brown, curly hair.

"10 weeks. I've already been to the doctor and everything, but I just never found the moment to tell you all." She admitted, but Emmet just hushed.

"It's okay baby, It's okay." He said, and patted her belly softly. None of was sure if he spoke to her or to the baby, but on the other hand, it didn't really matter.

"It's aright Rose, we understand." Esme said.

"Did you tell Eric and Anna yet?" Carlisle asked, and she nodded.

"Yeah, mom and dad already know. I told them last night." She said. Jasper, who'd been quiet the whole time, walked up to Emmet and glared at him. Edward chuckled in the corner of the room, and Alice giggled to herself. Emmet didn't notice at first, but then he did, and turned around.

"You _knocked up_ my _sister_?" Jasper hissed with such a fiercely voice, I got Goosebumps down my arms. Emmet stared at him in confusion, and then his eyes widened in horror.

"Jasper I'm _so_ sorry I-"He began to gush, when suddenly, Jasper broke into a laugh. All of us were staring at him like he was a lunatic, and then he patted Emmet on his shoulder as he gave him a reassuring smile.

"Emmet, I'm not mad, I was just joking with you." He said with a laugh, and then looked at Rose. "I'm going to be an uncle after all."It was in that exact moment that I understood that Edward, Alice and Jasper were all going to be Uncles and Aunts. In one way, it sounded kind of funny. Uncle Edward…

I looked over at Edward, and smiled as our eyes met. He looked so…happy. He really looked like he was happy for Emmet & Rose; the way the smile spread on his lips was indescribable.

"Well, how about we drive in to Port Angeles and eat something nice? My treat." Carlisle suggested, smiling brightly. At first, the thought seemed perfect, but on a second thought, I remembered that the vampires still were a threat to us. I worriedly looked over at Alice, but she just shook her head with a confident smile.

"That'll be great." She said, and when she saw my questioning face, she leaned in towards me and whispered softly in my ear. "It's okay. They won't attack. They're busy planning about other stuff. Also, Smith will come, and so will the wolves. We'll be fine, I promise."

The others began to talk excitedly with each others about various things, so Edward walked over to me and looked me in the eye with a glorious smile painting his lips.

"Hi there Uncle Edward." I said teasingly, testing the words on my tongue. It felt so weird saying it…

He chuckled, and sat down next to me. "You can't imagine how happy Rose is right now. It's really like a dream come true." He said, and I looked over at Rose, who was surrounded by the others, and she laughed joyfully as Emmet rubbed her tummy lovingly.

"Well, I'm happy for her." I said with a smile, and I was just about to say something else when Carlisle came over to us.

"Are you ready to go?" he asked, and I looked over at Edward. He smiled his crooked smile, and took my hand.

"Yeah. Let's go."


	25. The Last Day

**Chapter 25: The last day**

**BPOV**

For the first time in many weeks, the sun was greeting me as I woke up in the morning. I yawned contently, and stretched out in my small bed. Last night was the most fun I've had in a long time. All of us (including the twins) drove to Port Angeles, and decided to go this Italian restaurant (since Italian was Rose's favorite).

There, we met Julie and Leo, who themselves were out for dinner as well. We told them the good news (and everything vampire related that happened during the day, but of course not around the others) and Julie wanted to pay for our dinner as a small gift to them, but Carlisle protested friendly, since he had promised them that he would pay for it. But after many minutes of begging and persuasion, he finally gave in, and allowed her to pay for dinner. Then we spent the rest of the night, talking and laughing with each other about everything and nothing between heaven and earth. We didn't go home until late at night, when the restaurant owner told us to leave since he was closing, and Edward drove me home (which I actually don't remember since I fell asleep).

I sat up in bed, and stared at the alarm clock. 10:53, the red lights flashed, and I sighed, not really keen on getting up, but I knew I had to. I was just about to leave the room when I noticed the note on my desk. I could tell even before I had read it by the handwriting that it was from my dad.

_**Bells, I went to La Push to see Billy. Will be there all day, fishing. See you when I get home /Dad**_

I was hardly surprised by the note he left behind. Charlie always went to go and see Billy on the weekends, this was nothing unusual. I left the note on the desk, and walked to the bathroom, yawning.

After taking an unreasonably long and hot shower, I got dressed and walked downstairs. To my surprise, when I reached the bottom level of the house, I saw that the TV still was on. Just as I stood there and frowned to myself, I heard a noise from the kitchen. My body immediately stiffened, and I stared at the kitchens threshold. I couldn't see around the corner of the wall, form where the sound was coming, but something happened there. It didn't really sound like a vampire, I noticed, but more like a ruffling noise, like someone was looking for something or moving stuff around. Of course, a vampire _could_ be in my house, moving stuff around, but whenever I've been around vampires, they've always been awfully quiet and graceful. Not noisy.

I managed to walk over to the doorway of the kitchen, and slowly, I peeked over the corner. Sure enough, there was a man in my kitchen, but I had no idea who it was. With his back towards me, I couldn't identify him, and I was just about to back away slowly from the scene when I saw what he was holding: a knife. I let out a gasp in surprise, and backed away from the person. My hands were shaking in terror and I was just about to scream when the man before me began to chuckle; a warm, familiar sound that made the scream stop in my throat

"J-J-J-Jake? What are you doing here?" I exclaimed as he turned around, letting me see his face, and placed a hand over my chest as I breathed deeply.

He laughed, and now I saw that he was doing the dishes. The knife he was holding was, now that I looked closer, covered in soap and the sink was tapped up with bubble water. "Bella relax, it's just me."

I scoffed at his words. Relax? I hardly think that's what you do when you find a person you don't recognize in your kitchen, especially not when you're targeted by bloodthirsty vampires who want to kill you…

"You still haven't answered my question. What are you doing here?" I asked after a few seconds of deep breathing. It _was_ a strange mystery why he was there in my house.

"Dad and I came by and said hello, and when my dad offered Charlie to go fishing with him, I stayed behind to look after you."His words made no sense to me, and when he saw my confused face, he sighed.

"I'm here to protect you from any vampire besides Smith…no even him." He said, and I had no idea if he was joking, or of he was serious, until he began to laugh.

"No, but on a serious note, Alice called this night to the pack and said that you needed some protection today. She's said they were planning to attack, but it was all blurry or something. She summed it up by saying that we needed to come and watch you because they were going to attack, but they didn't know when or how. That's why we decided it was for the best that Billy took Charlie to La Push for some fishing; we can protect both of them the best there."

"They're…attacking again?" I asked.

I saw how he was just about to answer, when he suddenly stiffened, and looked behind me. I was just about to ask him what it was when a cold hand touched my shoulder. I screamed, and turned around in horror, only to be met by a surprised a slightly amused Smith.

"Sorry, didn't know you would be so surprised." He said apologetically, and I frowned.

"You didn't think I would be scared after being told that the many vampires that want to kill you are going to attack again _today_? And on top of that, you just appear behind me, expecting me to know it's you!" I yelled at him, angry and shocked about what just had happened.

Smith grinned and then shook his head. "I'm so sorry Bella, I had no intentions of scaring you."

I scoffed angrily. "Well, you did. Why are you here? Don't you even have the courtesy to knock first?" I snapped at him, and he raised one eyebrow. In one fast motion, he disappeared and opened the door, and then returned. The sun's beams shined into the hallway, missing the two of us just by a few inches, and he looked back at me with the same, skeptical expression he had worn before he had opened the door.

"You were saying?" he said, and I understood why he had just appeared like he had. Since he sparkled like a diamond when the rays of the sun hit his ice cold skin, he never exposed himself to sunlight and because the sun was out today, he must've been focusing on not getting exposed in the sun or getting spotted by humans. A thing like knocking on a stupid wooden door was probably the least of his problems.

"Okay, forget what I said." I told him with a sigh, and walked over to the door and closed it again. "But don't creep up on me like that; it's scary." I walked back to the kitchen and decided to make some breakfast, which was my original plan before I noticed that there was supernatural beings in my house.

"So, what are we doing today? This combination is just fantastic." Jake asked, and went back to his dishes. I walked over to one of the cupboards and took out a clean bowl and some cereal and milk from the fridge and sat down at the table. Smith sat down on the other side and eyed my choice of breakfast with disgust.

"How can you even eat something like that?" he asked as I happily chewed it down without any disapproval.

"You're really good at rejecting my breakfast, you know that right?" I said and he flashed me a grin.

"I am, aren't I?"

Jake, who apparently was done with the dishes, emptied the sink of tap water, and dried his hands on a towel. "No, but still; none of you have answered my question. What are we doing today?"

I shrugged and continued to eat, and Smith grinned slyly at me. "I know what you're going to do." He said to me, and I frowned in confusion. Jake looked a little puzzled as well, but after a short while, his face relaxed, and a small smile painted his lips in enjoyment.

"What?" I asked, and just then, the doorbell rang. The two boys' (well, technically, one boy, one vampire) smiles grew, and in a slow, uncertain motion, I walked over to the door and opened it. Edward smiled as I saw him, and immediately hugged me tightly.

"I missed you." He murmured into my hair, and after the few seconds I needed for my shock to wear off, I hugged him back.

"I missed you to-"I said, but was cut off, as Jake suddenly took a grip on my sweater and dragged me away from him. "Jake, what are you-!" I began to protest, but he silenced me with a curt hush.

"Do you have any news?" he asked, his face stern in seriousness, and Edward became serious as well.

"No, nothing new; she still doesn't know when. But you could ask her yourself…" he said, and then looked behind him. Alice, slamming her yellow Porsche's car door shut, began to walk over to us with a fire burning in her eyes. She watched me and how Jake held me by my shirt, away from Edward, and her eyes instantly hardened. She glared at him the whole way, and when she reached the 3 of us, she walked over to me, and yanked me away from him, which made him release my shirt.

Alice instantly enfolded me in a hug, her short arms reaching around my body and held on tight. For being such a small creature, she sure was strong. "I've been so worried about you. No matter how long and far I looked; I couldn't see when they've planned to attack." She said as she hugged me, and I soothingly patted her back. This must be hard for her, since she has always known what's going to happen in any situation (well, _almost_ any situation).

"Alice, it's okay. Calm down." I said, patting her back soothingly.

Smith cleared his throat in a sign of attention, and I remembered that he was inside, not here with the rest of us in the warming sun. "Is it alright if you continue the conversation inside? That would ease my nerves a little." He said in a firm voice, and Alice sighed.

"Fine." she muttered, and released herself from me. Together, we all walked back inside to the house, and when Edward had closed the door, Smith appeared in front of us.

"Any news?" he asked, and she shook her head.

"No, nothing. I called the Lewis's, and they decided it was time to involve the Volturi. Julie called them this morning and they should be on their way now." She said, and somehow, that made me feel a little bit safer. Calling for backup was something we should've done a while back.

Alice gave me a reassuring look, and then, like someone had turned on a switch, she glared at Jake. "What are you doing here?" Alice asked him and Smith in a sour voice. Jake frowned in confusion, and answered her carefully, not wanting to piss her off.

"What? You told us to come here, remember?" he said, and she rolled her eyes.

"Yes, I _know_ I said you were supposed to come here, but I meant, like, standing outside in the woods, patrolling the area after treats and stuff. Not coming into her home and doing her dishes!" she said, gesturing at my now perfectly clean kitchen.

"Well, you didn't say that. You just told me that I needed to guard her, so I did." He said, sounding more irritated now than before. I noticed how his hand slightly shook, and I tensed. That was a werewolf sign, and if we didn't hurry up and make him calm again, he'll phase.

"Alice, Jake; stop it." I said in a loud, clear yet firm voice. Both of them looked at me, and I for one seconds felt a little stupid, but I shook off that feeling and took a deep breath before continuing.

"You have to stop fighting, this isn't leading anywhere." I said, and Edward nodded in agreement.

"She's right. You're both acting like idiots at the moment when there's much more serious things going on."

Alice, who still seemed to be mad at Jake, sighed deeply and shook her head. "Okay, okay, I get it. No more fighting with the werewolf that's here to protect us, I know." She said, not sounding a bit sorry at all and then grabbed the duffle bag she had been carrying over her shoulder. It was rather big for something that Alice usually carries around, and I was just about to ask her why she had brought that bag, she spoke.

"Before anyone say anything, this isn't mine, it's Emmet's. I would _never_ own something this hideous." She said, and then looked up at me with a smile. Edward groaned in the background, and I soon began to worry about what her plans were.

"Okay. Smith and Jake, make sure Edward doesn't escape. I'll deal with Bella." She said, and grabbed my hand.

"Roger that." Jake said with a grin, and stared at Eddie with a smile. Smith, who didn't really look like he cared, crossed his arms in front of himself and watched as Alice literarily dragged me up the stairs.

"Alice, stop it! What are you doing?" I exclaimed in slight panic, and as we reached my room, she let me go.

"Bella, just because those sons of bitches are going to attack today it doesn't mean that we have to stay inside all day and do nothing. It will be sunny all day until 8."

"So? What does that have to do with you dragging me forcefully up to my room?"

She smiled and evil smile that made me somewhat fear for my life, and then opened the duffle bag. "You and Edward are going on a date."

***Later***

"And were done!" Alice joyfully exclaimed, and I sighed happily. The latest hour Alice had treated me like her doll and played dress up. The result was the brown dress I was wearing and a pair of white ballerinas. My face was covered with makeup and my hair was slightly curlier than usual.

"Alice, is this really necessary?" I asked, and pointed at the necklace I had received from the twins on my birthday a few days back. The weight on my neck really bothered me, and ever since she put it on me, I had always worried about if I would break it. Of course, I didn't tell her where it was, but she found it anyway.

"Of course it is!" she said, and then clapped her hands together. "Enough chit-chat. Let's go."

Together, the two of us walked downstairs. The whole time I walked downstairs, I felt this bad feeling in my core worsen. This was _bad_…

"Well, will you look at that…"Jake murmured as we reached the bottom, and I blushed. Jake and Smith both stood together in the hallway, but Edward was nowhere in sight.

"You look absolutely stunning." Smith said with a smile, and Alice grinned proudly.

"This is one of my best works yet." She said happily, and I rolled my eyes.

"Yes, you really look beautiful." A voice said from my left, and Edward walked over to us with an adoring smile on his face. My heart raced inside my chest, and when I heard those words coming from him, my stomach was filled with butterflies and my cheeks blushed red. I smiled, and he infolded me into a gentle hug.

"I'm so sorry about this." He whispered into my ear as we stood in the hallway, holding each other.

"It's okay; it'll probably not be _that_ bad. I've got you so I don't have to worry." I whispered back, and then gave him a swift kiss on his cheek before I let him go and turned back to each other. Alice looked like she was a 5 year old on Christmas day.

"Okay, now for the planning. Smith, you stay in the shadows around us and make sure there're no vampires in the area. Jake, you'll do the same thing, but stay a little bit closer to Bella and Edward. I will stay away on a reasonable length, and make sure those two won't screw up the date." She said, and the other two nodded in comprehension.

"Do we have any say in this?" I asked, even though I knew that we had no chance whatsoever of getting out of this.

"No, you don't. So, are we ready to go?" She asked with a confident smile, and I sighed inside my head. Let's just hope it doesn't go too bad…

***Later***

The long drive to Port Angeles wasn't over a minute too soon. Edward and I quickly got out of the car, and then said goodbye to Alice before she could say anything else with the beginning of "This date will…".

"Are you okay? I could call a cab and get us out of here." Edward said as we walked down the streets of the now Sunny Port Angeles. Even though the sun was out, the air was chilly, and I cursed inside my head at my stupid decision of not forcing Alice to bring me a coat. When I told her that I would be freezing when we got here, wearing this thin, armless dress, she only said that I was silly and that it would ruin my outfit if I did.

I shuddered as a cold wind blew by, and then answered him. "No, it's okay. I don't mind being on a date with you, it's just the thought if it getting controlled by Alice that's bothering me." I told him truthfully, blushing slightly as I did. He brushed his hand down my arm, and the warmth his arm gave me made Goosebumps appear on it. He saw that, and immediately took off his jacket. I began to protest, but he silenced me with a firm look.

"So, what do you want to do now?" he asked, smiling blissfully. I could see that he was happy being on this date. He would probably ask me on dates all the time if I just wasn't so shy when it came to dating. I could hardly hold his hand in school without blushing like a tomato.

"I don't know, you chose." I said, and he looked around on the street at the shops around us. They were mostly cloth shops, but in the end of the street there was a small café with cute, pink and white signs. He grinned, and looked at me.

"Wanna go to that café? We don't really have to order something, we can just sit and talk." He said, and I smiled at the idea. When we lived in Alaska, Alice often made us follow her to the town's center where all the shops where (even though they weren't many) and as she shopped, we used to sit at this small, crappy café that practically only served a bunch of small, ill-tasting cookies and tea and coffee. We never ordered anything (after the fatal mistake we did the first time we were there, and ordered something) and then we just used to sit there and talk until Alice was done.

"That reminds me of Alaska. Do you remember? When Alice dragged us with her to shop in town, we always sat and talked at that café. I don't remember its name tough.,.." I trailed off, and he laughed.

"Yeah, I do. Those were the good times, weren't they?" he asked, and I nodded.

"Yeah. Then, I didn't have to worry about vampire attacks or werewolf ex-boyfriends." I said with a sigh, and then we proceeded to walk towards the small café.

***later***

"Should we get going now? It's getting late." Edward said as we sat in the restaurant. The day had gone absolutely perfect. It didn't actually feel like Alice was behind it at all. After sitting at the small café (which also was a lunch place) and eating lunch, we walked around the town, laughing and talking about everything and nothing.

"It's probably for the best. I mean, Alice said they would attack sometime today, but we have no idea when." I said, and his face became stern. That was something we had avoided all day until now, but even so, both of us were still uncomfortable with the subject.

"Yeah." He said, and then looked somewhere behind me. I looked too, and saw how the door opened and Smith entered the room. He looked very serious, and walked over to us in a human phase.

"You should probably go now. We've only met one vampire so far, which was about 15 minutes ago, but since it's getting dark I fear it'll only get worse by the second." He said, and an uncomfortable feeling settled in my stomach.

"Let's go then." Edward said, and rose from his seat. I followed his example, and together, the three of us walked out of there. Alice's yellow Porsche skidded to a stop as we walked out of the restaurant, and she honked her horn in an impatient gesture. Edward rolled his eyes at her, and opened the backseat door for me, gesturing for me to get inside. I thanked him, and then got inside as fast as I could without tripping. He got inside as well, and closed the door behind him, which was the only Alice needed to get racing down the streets, heading home.

"Before we get to the boring, slightly scary vampire news, I just want to tell you what a great job you did today! I never expected you would-"Alice began to chant until Edward (luckily), interrupted her.

"Yeah, yeah, we know. I've heard your thoughts all day." He said, and he didn't exactly sound happy by the fact.

She pouted, and sighed. "Fine. Okay, here's how it is. The vampires haven't decided to attack yet, but by the looks of it, it seems like they're considering doing the attack tomorrow." She said, and I was just about to sigh in relief, when she continued. "I'm not finished. I said they're _considering_. They're still planning to attack today."

I sighed, this time in despair, and looked at Edward. He looked as troubled as I felt, and with a small sigh, he took one arm and put it on my shoulder, and then almost dragged me down until I was leaning against his chest.

"It's going to be okay." He said, and stroked my hair softly. Right now, I did everything I could to believe him.

***Later***

We got home at about ten, and I can't explain how wonderful it felt to lay down in my bed after a long, yet perfect date with my boyfriend. The first thing I did when I came home was to take of the oversized necklace from the twins, which had slightly bothered me all day. After the long process of removing all the makeup on my face, I could finally go back to my bed and fall asleep. My dreams were strange and restless, and I was just about to run across a crowd of red cloaked people, when the ringing of my phone woke me up. In my morning haze, I looked around after my cell phone. The clock on my nightstand was 3:05, and I grimly thought that the one who called better have reason this time of the day. Finally though, I managed to find it, and answered.

"Hello?"

"Bella!" Alice almost screamed at me panicky on the other line. "Bella, it's happening, it's time!" she said, and I frowned, too tired to have a clue of what she was talking about.

"What?"

She took a deep breath before she continued, and her next words made me freeze in my movements. "The vampires. They're going to attack. Now."


	26. It's Starting

**Chapter 26: It's starting **

**BPOV**

I stared forward, looking and hearing absolutely nothing. The words Alice was screaming on the other line were inaudibly, like they were far, far away. My dark yet comforting room felt like a stranger's bedroom, all the things inside it looking unfamiliar and new. It was like those words I had dreaded so much this last week had brainwashed me. I couldn't understand anything. Everything was just black and white.

"Bella! Bella, listen to me!" Alice continually screamed on the other line, but I couldn't answer. It was like I didn't know how. "Do something! She's totally out of it!" Alice yelled, but this time she wasn't screaming at me, but at someone else in the background. Some ruffling sound was heard, and then another familiar voice said my name once again.

"Bella, you have to listen to me." Edward said in calmly in a soothing voice, like he was trying to calm me. And that's when I noticed it. I was practically hyperventilating. My rapid breaths made my head dizzy, and with a lot of concentrating, I managed to slow it down slightly.

"Bella, answer me!" Edward said then, his voice slightly panicky.

"Yes?" I croaked to an answer. My mind finally started to come back to reality, and as the shock wore off, all the feelings it had numbed came like a wave crashing to the shore. My body was shaking, in both shock and fear, and tears began to run down my face uncontrollably.

"Bella, breathe." He said, and I continued to take deep breaths to ease my fear, but it hardly helped. They were here. They were going to attack us tonight, and there was nothing I could do about it. And the worst thing was that it was only me they wanted. The other where just here so they could protect me, so if they got hurt, it would be all because of me.

"What are we going to do?" I asked after a few seconds of silence. He waited to answer, either because he was afraid I couldn't take the answer he had or that he didn't know what to say.

"Smith will be at your house in 5. Jake, Quil Ateara, Embry Call and Seth Clearwater are already on their way to you. The rest of the wolves are going to patrol around the town to protect the others." He said, not sounding that concentrated at me at the moment.

"Okay. I love you." I told him, my voice breaking in the last sentence.

"Bella, don't worry. We _will_ get through this." He said, his voice hard in sincerity. But it almost sounded more like he tried to convince me than that he was telling me the truth. But at that moment, I didn't care. Believing the lie was the only thing that stopped me from giving up completely.

***5 minutes later***

The light knock on my window almost scared me to death. I turned around and met his worried, yellow eyes. He had entered my room silently and now stood 1 meter away from me.

"We need to go. Now." He said, his voice quiet but sincere. During the 5 short minutes, I had gotten dressed in a t-shirt and jeans and then stood impatiently in the middle of my room until he came. I was too nervous to sit the last remaining minutes I had.

"Where?" I said, following him as he exited through my bedroom door, walking swiftly down the stairs. He had a hard time walking in a human phase, which made me half-run to keep up with him.

"We're going to meet up at the Cullen's place. We don't have time, the attack is happening in 20 minutes." His words made my stomach turn, and I tried my best not to make it that visible that I was uncomfortable to the core.

I grabbed a warm sweater just before I slipped out the door, and as I walked I suddenly remembered something.

"What about Charlie? We can't leave him there! What if they decide if they're going to attack him?"

He stopped in his tracks, and turned around. "He's at Jake's father. He didn't come back for the night. Don't worry about anyone else except you." He said, and then looked at me skeptically. "I don't have a car."

I frowned at him in confusion. Didn't have a car? But the attack was supposed to happen in 20 minutes! How the hell could we get to their house in that short amount of time without a car? "What? Are you crazy? Did you really think-" I began to rant, when he suddenly, out of nowhere, lifted me up in his cold, pale arms. I shrieked in surprise, and stared at him with wide eyes.

"What are you doing?"

"I didn't have a car…I ran here. And we're going to run to their house. It's the fastest way." He said, and before I had the chance to answer, he had already begun to answer. The ride was like the one I had one month ago when we were camping with the class. Wind blew strongly into my face, almost like I had stuck out my head out of an airplane window. Trees flashed by, almost faster and faster each time, and the longer the ride lasted, the sicker I got.

And then, it was over. The backside of the Cullen's house was right in front of us, and as we stood there in their backyard I noted that the sky which had been dead black a few minutes ago, had started to turn slightly gray. Smith, without saying a word, let me down on the ground. But the whole ride had made me nauseous and dizzy, so when my feet touched the ground, my knees gave in and I fell to the ground. My ears began to ring, but I could hear what Smith said next.

"Bella!" he exclaimed in horror, and shook my shoulders in panic, afraid I had passed out. The world spun slightly as I lay on the ground, seeing Smith's panicked face, and after a moment, it was joined by two other worried and familiar faces; Alice's and Edward's.

"Is she okay?" Edward asked, and Alice nodded. Her yellow-brown eyes watched me with sincerity, but her facial expression was somewhat calm.

"She'll be alright, she's just in shock. In about 5 seconds she'll say something."

After the ringing noise in my ears had gone away, I did as Alice had promised, and spoke. "Don't talk about me like I'm not there."

She smiled a sad smile, and after Smith had helped me up from the ground, she enfolded me in a tight hug. Now when I saw it clearer, her eyes were red from all the crying she must've done. She looked like she hadn't slept for days.

"Alice, are you alright?" I asked, and as she released me, she scoffed.

"Am _I_ alright? That's the least of your concerns. Right now, only focus on yourself, no one else." She said, and then looked at Smith. "Come here, I need to tell you some things anywhere but here." She said, giving him a warning look with her eyes.

Smith tensed up, and frowned. "But we can't-"

Alice groaned in frustration, and grabbed his sleeve violently, and dragged him away from Edward and I. "Take a hint, will you?" she mumbled angrily as they walked away from us. I stared after them with a frown on my face, and then turned to Edward. His worried, green eyes stared at me, and then he as well enfolded me in a hug. None of us said anything; we just stood there in the darkness together, in silence. I knew he was scared; I was too. I had no idea if I was going to see the morning or not. What scared me the most wasn't dying. It was to be separated from him.

"I love you, you know that right?" I mumbled into his chest, and he stroked my cheek with his hand, and then moved away from me so he could kiss me. The kiss was long and breathtaking, and as we parted, I was panting for air.

"Yes, I know." He then answered. "And I love you too." His voice was sincere, but sad. We both knew that there was a large risk that one of us (or both) wouldn't survive this.

"Okay, it breaks my heart to say it, but time's up." Alice said, who was standing a few meters away, staring at us with an apologetic look. Edward grabbed my hand and squeezed it lightly as we began to walk towards the others.

"Okay, here's what's going to happen. Listen up, even though you've heard this before." Alice said, but her voice was loud, like she was talking with someone far away, and not me and Edward. Then suddenly, like they had been there the whole time (which they probably had, just that they were silent about it), 4 wolves walked out of the forest, into the backyard. I shrieked as they appeared, not ready for something like that to happen, and watched as they walked over to us. One of them I recognized almost directly as I saw him, with his reddish-brown fur, and dark brown eyes. Jake stood nearest to me, and his eyes studied me carefully.

"Man Jake, don't just appear like that out of nowhere. You almost gave me a heart attack." I scolded him, and he rolled his large eyes at me.

"Okay, we don't have much time left, so listen up." Alice said, making me look back at her again. "We have 15 minutes before they attack, so here's the plan. Jake, you, Quil, Embry and Seth are going to escort us as we drive to the field where the vampires are coming and then you'll fight with us there as well. There are going to be 12 vampires attacking. 4 of them are going to head towards the town instead of the field, so the other 4 wolves left will take care of them and make sure no one will get hurt. Understand?" she said, and without waiting for an answer, she continued.

"And for the humans, here's our plan. Like I said, we'll take a car to the field where they're going to attack and meet them." I saw how Smith frowned in displease by these words, but before he could say anything, Alice added;" and yes, I _have_ thought about escorting Bella out of there, away from the fight, but it won't work. The other vampires will get to her then, so this is the only way. We'll face the 8 vampires there, and that's where the Lewis's come in. They've contacted the Volturi, and they will arrive in time for the battle to help us. They won't be there in the battlefield, since it will be too dangerous with that many humans around.

"There's also something blurry going on that I can't really make out, but it won't disturb the fight, so we don't have to worry. Anyways, at the field, the only priority will be to protect Bella and Edward and Me. Since we're humans, the newborns will go crazy when they see us, so be extra careful. I get that you have shown the werewolves how you fight newborns?" Alice asked, and he nodded. I frowned in confusion at this odd fact. When did he do that?

"Good, then that's it I guess. Any questions?" she asked, and the garden became dead silent. No one answered her, and she nodded. "Great. Let's go."

***later***

That car ride was the worst thing that I've been through in my entire life. It was absolutely quiet in the car, since no one wanted to say anything, and as Alice speeded away on the empty streets with her yellow Porsche, all you could do was think. What was going to happen now? Would we all live through this? What if we _didn't_? And then the scary thoughts came. It didn't take long before I was shaking in my seat, and Edward was just about to say something when Smith turned around in the front seat and stared at me intently.

"Calm down." He said in a soothing, yet commanding voice, and as I watched, something happened with his eyes. I then realized he tried to compel me, and after a few deep breaths, I managed to speak without sounding shaken.

"You know I can't be affected by it." I said, and he sighed.

"I know, but it was worth a shot."

After 7 minutes, Alice stopped beside the road, and turned the engine off. "Okay, this is it people." She said, and then stepped out of the car. We all followed her example, and then I frowned. The road was surrounded by trees, and by the looks of it, there was no field anywhere close to this place.

"And where is this field you were speaking of?" I asked, and she pointed at Smith.

"It's a bit into the forest. Smith will take us there, on at a time." She said, and Smith looked anything but happy by this fact. But he nodded, so he wasn't against the idea …that much.

"We'll start with Bella. The wolves are already there, so don't worry." Alice said, and before I knew it, I was already in his arms and he was running in super speed through the forest.

"Close your eyes. Then you might not get as sick as before."Smith said as he ran, and I couldn't do anything else but take his advice. I felt as the wind blew hard against my face, and it didn't take long before it was over. I slowly opened my eyes, and as promised, we stood still on the ground. The 4 wolves I had seen before were there (including Jake), and Smith carefully helped me down on the ground, making sure I wouldn't fall as he did. When he was assured I wasn't going to pass out again, he disappeared into the woods to get the others.

My heart was beating so fast in my chest I thought it was going to jump right through it. Jake came towards me in his large wolf form, and stood beside me as we waited for the others. He didn't say anything (not that he could) and just stood beside me in silence. I think he knew I was scared and needed just this treatment.

Smith appeared once again, and this time it was Alice. Her eyes were distant, and as Smith left here there and then ran to get Edward, I walked over to her. She didn't say anything either, and no matter how long time it seemed to pass, her distant look didn't seem to go away.

"Are you okay, Alice?" I asked, but I received no answer. It was like she was gone in her own world. Her silence made me even more nervous, and I fought with myself so I wouldn't hyperventilate.

Smith finally returned, this time with Edward in his arms, and if the situation wasn't as serious as it was, I would be laughing my ass off. Both of them looked extremely uncomfortable, and Smith hurriedly let go of him s they both could walk over to us.

The wolves began to growl quietly, and walked around us, gazing into the woods. "They're coming." Alice whispered, and then gasped. I looked at her worriedly.

"What is it?"

"No, no, no, no, no….. " She continually whispered, and tears began to develop in her eyes. All sorts of different thoughts began to wander in my head. Were they more than we expected? Would the Volturi not come? Would we all die?

I was just about to ask her when I _saw_ it.

I could see them, in the edge of the forest. Some of them looked hungrily at us with their black eyes, others smiled. But as I gazed at the group, I looked right into the red eyes of death.

The earth that she walked on rotted. The few plants her hands touched as she walked withered and died. Her blond hair blew as the wind hit her face, and I couldn't help but to gasp when I actually saw who it was.

"Mia…"

**Playlist: Crystal Ball - Keane**


	27. Taking my last breath

**Chapter 27: Taking my last breath**

**BPOV**

I couldn't believe my eyes. Mia. The loving, caring, sweet girl I had gotten to know, that wasn't her. That wasn't the girl in front of me right now. Her ice blue eyes were gone, never returning, and instead replaced with red, monstrous eyes. And her skin, that used to have a small, glowing tan, was now pale, just like the others around her. Her features had become slightly more beautiful and perfect, like the rest of those damned creatures, but you could still recognize her. But the thing that was absolutely worst about her was her expression. Her face was dead and expressionless, and the smile that so often used to show on those before rosy lips was gone. It was like the life had gone out of her eyes, and I never knew if it would ever return.

But it wasn't just Alice, Edward and I who were shocked. Smith, who a few seconds ago looked like he could take on a whole army, stared ahead with shocked, wide eyes, like he had seen a ghost appearing from the dead. Ironically, that was exactly what he had.

"You." He whispered quietly, staring at someone in the crowd. At first I thought he had reacted on Mia as well, but then I noticed that it was someone else in the mass that had caught his attention. The group had stopped, and a tall, pale man stepped up, grinning evilly as he did.

"Yes, it's me. I'm glad you even remember me after pushing me into that fire." The vampire said smilingly, hissing the last words in anger. He looked a lot like Smith with his dark, curly hair, but his bright red eyes were a big difference. I had no idea what he was talking about; I wasn't really focusing on what they were saying. I was still busy staring at Mia. She looked angry as she stood there, beside him.

"Mia." Alice whispered with a weak voice filled with sorrow. Mia's eyes flashed to her, and I might have imagined it, but I thought I saw some sadness appear in her eyes as well.

"What's?" Edward asked Smith angrily with a frown on his face. He took my hand and squeezed it tight, and I answered him by squeezing it back. Smith didn't answer, and just stared ahead at the man in front of us. Then, the vampire's eyes flashed to me, and a smile entered his face.

"Ah, she does resemble Stacy a lot, doesn't she?" he said, and I shivered as he spoke. There was something in his voice that made me uncomfortable. Smith growled; an animalistic sound that seemed to come from the back of his throat, and placed himself in front of me in protection.

"What are you doing here? You're supposed to be dead!" Smith screamed, anger now showing on his previously shocked face.

The man grinned, and took a few steps forward. Jake and the wolves growled in protest, which made him stop in his tracks. "Whoa, take it easy! You've got some new furry friends here, I see." He said, and laughed. Then, he looked at me again. "Since they won't let me come any closer, I'll introduce me from here instead. I'm Luigi Bianchi, an old _friend_ of Antonio here. Or, as he now calls himself, _Smith_." His name instantly struck me, and I remembered who he was.

**Flashback *swoosh***

"_It was on our last mission together, before I left the Volturi. There was a pair of crazy vampires just outside of Paris that we had orders to kill. We got them after a short chase, and we ripped them apart to make sure they wouldn't survive the burning. Then we began to fight. He thought it was wrong of me to leave the Volturi; that I had a future there, but I was still persistent to leave. I wanted to see the world more than just Europe. But he didn't want me to leave either him or the Volturi._

_"So after we had burned the bodies of the vampires, we began to fight. It wasn't just a verbal fight; we began to fight with violence. It was then…I killed him. I gave him one last, hard push, which sent him into the fire. I didn't meant to kill him I just…I just wanted him to agree with me on leaving. He instantly began to scream, and as soon as I realized what I had done, I ran away. I could hear his scream in my mind all the way to Volterra, to report what I had done. None of them was pleased with what I had done, not even me._

**End of flashback **

That's right, Smith told me about him that night when I slept at his house. He was the one that turned him into a vampire. But…he said that he killed him. He saw how he pushed him into the fire. Vampires die when they get exposed to fire…how can he be alive (Well…as alive as they'll ever be)?

"You." I said, staring at him in shock. I couldn't believe it. This man, standing in front of me, was Smith's friend from the 16th-centruary who was supposed to be dead. Why was he standing in front of us, leading the group of vampires that were supposed to kill me?

"Oh! So he has told you about me?" he said, and then looked at Smith, raising one of his eyebrows. "Impressive."

"What are you doing here? What do you want? I….I thought I killed you!" Smith exclaimed, and for the first time, Luigi's smile faded from his lips. A scary look entered his face, and as he spoke, I could hear the grudge he was holding against Smith.

"Kill me? Pushing me into a fire will hardly kill me. You will have to try better than that to get rid of Me." he said, scoffing at him. Then, he sighed. "You can't _imagine_ how I felt. My friend; my _best_ friend was leaving and I wasn't even allowed to try to talk you out of it! You were so obsessed of 'seeing the world' and 'experience new things'. You just couldn't appreciate what you had right in front of you. For you, leaving the Volturi was the only option.

"But I couldn't just let you walk away without letting you get the consequences. So I started a fight with you, hoping to get you realize what a stupid mistake you were making. But it only seemed to fuel you stupidity. You stuck with your word, and my anger just grew. Nothing I said seemed to get through. And so, my anger finally got the best side of me, and we began to fight physically. Everything went well, and I was just about to give you a strike when you pushed me, sending me right into the fire."

As he stopped talking, the field fell into silence. All of us stared at him, not knowing what to think. "But…how did you survive? I _did_ push you into the fire. We all know vampires can't survive if they get exposed to it." Smith said, frowning.

Luigi flashed a grim smile, and out of nowhere, fire bolts appeared in his hands, burning bright. His minions looked terrified by his power, and moved away from him, not wanting to stand close to him. Everyone except Mia, that is. She held her place beside him with the same, dead expression she had had the whole time.

Smith stared at him with wide eyes, which made Luigi smile even more. "That's something you didn't know about me. I'm like you. I'm _special_, as Aro called you. I've always been able to control the element of fire, and as you pushed me into the fire, I managed to keep the flames away from me. That's how I managed to survive. I'm not exception to fire. I will die as easily as you I step into a field of fire." In a blink of an eye, the flames in his hands were gone, and his face was once again grim.

"But I never forgave you for what you did. I screamed at you, telling you to come back to me, but you didn't listen, you just ran you coward." He said, shaking his head. Then, his eyes cold as ice, he looked at me. "But I will finally get my revenge now as I kill you all."

My veins froze to ice, and as I stared at him, something that should've been obvious hit my mind. "You're the one who has been targeting me all this time." I said, and he chuckled.

"You really knew how to pick them, Smith. Not much brain, but surely entertaining." Smith growled at his words, and Edward squeezed my hand reassuringly. Then, he nodded. "Yes, it was I who tried to assassinate you a few times. It just made me so frustrated. Killing one human shouldn't be that hard, right?" he said, and then chuckled slightly to his words, like it was a joke.

"But, if you wanted to get revenge on Smith, why would you kill me?" I asked, and he scoffed.

"As I said, she sure is smart. Well, you see-"he began, but was interrupted by Edward, who screamed at him in rage. I had never heard him as angered in my entire life.

"No! You can't do that! She doesn't have anything to do with it!" he yelled, and Luigi frowned. Then, in a split of a second, his face broke out in a smile of realization, and chuckled.

"That's right, you two kids are special as well. You're the mind reader," he said, pointing at Edward. "And you must be the fortuneteller." He said to Alice, who was glaring at him angrily.

"Go straight to hell." She hissed at him, and he chuckled.

"Now, now, there's no reason of being rude." He said in a condescending voice, treating her like a baby, and Alice struggled not to yell back at him.

"Well, as I said before the mind freak interrupted him, I decided to kill you first since you mean the most to him. I value my life the most, and he values you. Since he almost took the thing I treasure the most, I will do the same thing to him. I only have one exception; unlike him, I will finish the job."

The wolves growled, which made the vampires behind Luigi respond in the exact same manner. Luigi's smile grew, and he raised his hand. "It was nice meeting you, but I'm afraid you'll have to die now." And then he snapped his fingers. The hungry, crazy vampires attacked, running in their inhuman speed, and everything just seemed to happen in a blur around me. Pieces of fur moved around us here and there, but no vampires seemed to get close to us, no matter how hard they tried. Mia and Luigi stayed where they were, not moving. Luigi stared at the fight going on around us, and smiled contently. His plan was working.

Screams accrued around us as the wolves ripped apart the newborn vampires, but the three humans on the scene stood in the middle, silent, not moving. What happened next is hard to explain.

Suddenly, the smiling Luigi had disappeared from where he had stood, and the three of us got wary. Then, as fast as he had vanished, he appeared right in front of us, _literary. _It was like time froze. I knew he only where there 2 seconds, but for me, it seemed like eternity. I could really study his face as he stood there. The red piercing eyes stared back at me thoughtfully, and a cruel smile was playing on his lips. His dark brown hair was slightly curly and was styled in a rather modern fashion and His face was (even though I don't want to admit it) very beautiful.

Then, without a warning, he yanked me away from Edward's hold, making him lose it, and then ran. The run wasn't long, maybe a second or two, and I hardly understood what happened with me, until he had stopped. He was holding me around me waist, and together we were staring at the scene I just had been in. The fight was still going on, but it seemed like the air had frozen. The wolves growled, and I saw how Jake tried to run to me, but was stopped by 3 newborns vampires, who placed themselves in his way, making it impossible for him to get to me without sacrificing Alice and Edward. Edward. His face was twisted in rage, sorrow and absolute panic in the exact same moment, and I heard how he screamed my name over and over again. Smith, who was fighting of a newborn, looked at me with panicky eyes. None of us had been prepared for Luigi's move.

Luigi chuckled to himself, making chills go down my spine. "This was almost too easy."

"Let her go! She has nothing to do with this!" Smith yelled, trying to get past the vampire, but he was too quick for him.

"That's where you're wrong." He said, and then looked at me. My whole body was frozen in fear, and I couldn't move an inch in his super strong hold. "I'm really sorry about this." He whispered in a lower tone, only for me to hear, and then I felt it; the unbearable pain in my stomach. I screamed in pain and saw how Luigi drew back his hand, covered in blood. Screams from the others were heard, and I fell down to the ground, fighting hard to breath. I could see them as I lay there, fighting for my life. The whole world looked like it was in slow-motion.

The wolves growled loudly, and began to fight harder than ever. Smith, who was furious, fought off the vampire he had been struggling so hard with before like a fly, and then he got blurry. But it was Edward's and Alice's eyes that made my pain already worse. Both of them were watching me with shock and sorrow, like they could believe what had happened.

I knew I was going to die, I could feel it.

I had passed out at least a thousand times, but this was so different. I could feel _everything_. The pain, the way my heart beat, how my life simply slipped away from me… My sight grew blurry, and my hearing too, but I always heard that sound of my heart throbbing. _Boom! Boom!_ My body, which had been warm and content just a few minutes ago, was going cold. I could feel how the ground beneath me was soaked in my own blood. I had no idea how large my wound was, but I was sure it wasn't pretty. But as I laid there on the ground, I could only think of one thing; my friends safety. I was screwed, my life was over, but theirs weren't. They could still survive.

It was getting hard to breathe now. My lungs felt like they were made of lid, and after each breath I drew, the weaker I seemed to get. The others were now only blurry figures in the distance, fighting for their lives that still were worth saving. Everything I did was painful, and as the minutes passed, I just wanted it to end. If ending my life would make this pain go away, then so be it.

I breathed with difficulty now, and for every breath I took, the weaker my heart beat. Slowly but surely, its phase softened like a lullaby singing me to sleep. The scene in front of me was just colors blurring together now, some of them moving fast, others slow. And then, feeling like it had been an eternity since Luigi had wounded me, I heard how my heart beat for the last time.

**Playlist: She has no time - Keane**


	28. Miracles with setbacks

**A/N: I know I'm the most evil person existing on earth, I know! Leaving you with that cliffhanger and not updating in 2 weeks was horrible of me, I'm so sorry! But I finally finished this chapter, so I hope you'll like it :) Enjoy!**

**Chapter 28: Miracles with setbacks**

**BPOV**

When I woke up, I was completely disorientated. I was lying on the soft, wet grass, and as I opened my eyes, the sun's glaring beams shone down on me. The sky didn't have one single cloud in sight, and the trees were swaying high above. They weren't like you would expect from the trees in Fork's; they were leafy trees, and their bright green leaves rustled as the wind blew softly through the air. I sat up, and looked around in bewilderment. I was lying in a flowery meadow surrounded by oaks, maples and birches. The place had a pleasant, calming feeling about it that made you want to lie down again, close your eyes and just listen as the birds happily chirped their songs in the warm, pleasant sunlight. Almost unconsciously, a smile began to creep on my lips, and as I began to stand up, I noticed I was wearing a white, beautiful summer dress that flowed with the wind. The discovery bemused me slightly, but the second my eyes spotted the brimstones flying in the air, it didn't bother me at all. I began to laugh, and playfully followed them, dancing as I went.

_Aren't you forgetting something?_ A part of my brain asked, but I scoffed it away. Of course I wasn't! Everything was perfectly fine.

To my disappointment, the beautiful butterflies escaped my vision, and I sighed. As I had run, noticed I was barefoot. This didn't bother me at all, since the ground was so soft, it felt like walking on air. Laughter began to bubble inside of me, and I couldn't help but to giggle. I didn't know why but this place was so trouble-free. Everything I saw just made me want to smile in joy and dance around until the sun went down.

As I stood still, just laughing to myself, I noticed some pretty flowers on the ground. They were poppy flowers and daisies, some of my favorite flowers. At least, I think that's what they are… Now that I think about it, I don't really know what my favorite flower is…

A frown began to grow on my face, but the longer I thought about it, the less sense it made. Who cares if I don't know what my favorite flower is, right? I bent down and began to pluck the perfectly bloomed flowers into a small bouquet. The second I felt the smell of them, the previous issue felt like nothing. I had never, _ever_, in my entire life smelt something so wonderful! I can't believe I was worried about…what was I worrying about again? This time, I didn't let anything distract me, even though it was difficult. I dropped the flowers to the ground, and closed my eyes. I couldn't let myself get distracted again. There was something…_something_ that I was missing, that I was forgetting.

"You're here. You're _not _supposed to be here." A familiar voice said behind me, and I turned around with a swirl, gasping in surprise.

"Liz! Liz it's you! I can't believe it! I'm _so _happy to see you! How are you? What are you doing here? Isn't this place just wonderful-"I began, but her curt voice interrupted me.

"Be quiet. You don't belong here." She said, her eyes glaring at me. That's when I realized something was wrong. In this perfectly glowing meadow, she was the only thing that didn't radiate any joy. She was still, silent and stern. She wasn't perfect like everything that was surrounding me. Her appearance made me wary, and I froze in my movement. I didn't belong? What was she talking about? I felt like I was exactly where I belonged…at least that's what I think.

"What …are you talking about?" I asked, getting slightly uncertain.

"Think Bella. Remember. What happened before you woke up here?"

I frowned at her, not understanding why I had to do this, but her icy look made me do it. I focused hard on it, and tried to remember what I had forgotten. Small forgotten images began to flash through my head. People I knew, faces I had seen a million times, appeared and I gasped as I realized something.

"Liz, you went missing! You and Mia just disappeared! Why are you in a place like this? Alice misses you." I said, and a flash of sadness appeared on her face. It had hurt her to hear about Alice…but why would she had left in the first place?

"Think harder, I know you can." She continued to press, her voice slightly softer, and I did as I was told.

And then it happened. Like an explosion, memories flooded into my mind like a river in full speed, and I gasped in chock and fear. The field, the newborns, my death… all of it came back to me, and I looked at her with a confused face.

"What's going on? How can I even be here? I'm dead!" I exclaimed. A sarcastic smile crept on her lips, and she slowly began to walk over to me.

"Well, so am I." Her words chocked me utterly. But…but no! She can't be dead! She was just going on a shopping trip with Mia…

"How?" I asked, and she sighed.

"It happened the night we disappeared. Mia and I was driving on the road, talking to each other about that shopping trip when suddenly, someone appeared on the road out of nowhere. I yelled for her to stop, but it was too late. The car skidded off the road, and we flipped several times. I got hit worse than her, and just after a few minutes, I was dead. But Mia, she was still alive. The man on the road turned out to be a vampire. He came to us and then bit her, making her scream in pain. I don't know why, maybe he saw something in her, but he didn't kill her. He decided she was a keeper. I on the other hand, was food. I was still alive as he came, but only barely. He sucked me dry, which I only remember half of the part, and then I died." Her story was shocking. I couldn't believe it. She was killed by a vampire. All this time, all of us thought that she was alive and well somewhere, but she wasn't. She was as dead as I was.

She was now standing right in front of me, and stretched out her hand towards me.

"Bella, you have to go, this isn't your time." She said, and stared at me with serious eyes.

"What are you talking about? I'm dead! I can't go anywhere." I said, stating the obvious, and she sighed. Then, without a further warning, she enfolded me into a hug.

"Yes you can. When you back…tell them hi from me, will you?" she asked, and I stepped away from her, frowning in confusion.

"What? What are you talking about? If there is a way to go back, why don't you come with me?" I asked, but she only shook her head with a small, sad smile on her lips.

"I can't. But you can, and that's what's matters." She said, and then placed her hand on my forehead."Good luck Bella, it was nice meeting you." After she had spoken, the whole world brightened up, making everything else fade in the light, and made me lose my consciousness.

***Later***

I don't know what happened. Colors flashed before my closed eyes, and voices, near and far, spoke. I could never figure out what they said, but there was some kind of comfort that they were there. I was uncertain how long time had passed, but after some length of time, the colors disappeared and the voices got clearer.

"Are you certain this will work?" A male asked, slightly panicky. I didn't know why, but the voice sounded a little familiar, but I couldn't put my finger on who it belonged to.

"Yes, I'm sure! I've told you; she'll wake up in just a few minutes, take it easy!" a woman retorted, sounding irritated at the man, like he had questioned her about this over and over again before.

Seconds, maybe minutes passed in silence, and the more time that slipped by, the more I started to feel. Everything just seemed so…new. I could feel it all, even out in my fingertips, but even though I tried to move them, they wouldn't budge an inch. My eyelids stayed shut, and the feeling of being a prisoner in my own body started to worsen. I couldn't move, I couldn't talk; all I could do was to lie back and listen as the world around me did nothing. A clock was ticking in the distance, and somewhere around me, someone was tapping their foot nervously against the wooden floor.

"Be ready, she'll open her eyes in 15 seconds." the woman suddenly said, interrupting me as I was counting the tocks from the clock.

"Are you sure?" the man asked, followed by a short silence. "Forget I asked."

Seconds passed and my, what it felt like, lid filled eyelids finally began to move like I commanded them to, and after a few tries, they slowly opened.

The first thing I saw was a white ceiling. Then, seconds after I had opened my eyes, people began to enter my vision of sight. People I knew.

"Bella, are you alright? Can you speak?" Smith asked, looking at me worriedly, and I stared at him with a frown. I couldn't believe it. I was actually here, with him. Did I survive? Did I manage to stay alive after the attack? Or maybe he's dead too, like me.

"Yes…" I whispered with my groggy voice. It felt like I had slept for days, but my limbs weren't stiff at all. I felt rested and…strangely well

"See, I told you she would be fine." The woman voice said, and I turned my head slightly so I could look at its owner; Alice.

"No…not you too!" I said, and tears began to fill my eyes. Alice frowned, and softly patted me on my head.

"Not me too? Did you not want me here, is that it?" she asked, obviously hurt by my accusation.

"No, not that. It's just…we've all died, right? I died there on the field; I could feel how my heart stopped. There is no way I could survive something like that, which means I've died, and if you're here, it means that you've done it too. " I said, and tears began to roll down my cheeks. A small smile appeared on Alice's lips, and she softly removed the few tears that had escaped my eye.

"No, you're alive." She said, and confusion began to fill me. I…I was alive. I hadn't died! But… but I met Liz on the other side, I'm sure of it.

"How…how is that possible?" I asked, and then shook my head. "But…but I died! I felt it! I was on the other side!" I exclaimed, starting to panic. Alice instantly began to try to sooth me, and Smith grasped my hand calmingly.

"Relax, you're panicking."Alice said calmly, and oddly enough, her composed, cool voice made me breathe normally again. After a few seconds of just calm silence, Alice sat down on a chair placed next to the bed.

"This…is going to be hard to explain." She said with a sigh.

"Not really." A voice interrupted from the door. There, smiling slightly as she leaned against the door, a tired-looking Mia waved her hand at us. My limbs froze to ice and I stared at her red eyes with fear. There she was, meters away from me, smiling.

"Even though I saw you coming, I hoped my vision was wrong." Alice said tiredly, and then grinned. She turned around in her seat, and then rose quickly, only to run directly into Mia's waiting arms.

What was she doing? Mia was with…with them! She was with Luigig and the others. And on top of that, she was a vampire, a newborn to be exact. And now they were hugging each other like nothing had happened!

"What…what is she doing here?" I asked, my voice weak and quiet.

Mia's eyes travelled to me as fast as I had uttered a word. Her piercingly red eyes (which used to be piercingly blue) watched me carefully and sincere, and in a split of a second, a grin appeared on her face.

"She's afraid of me." She said, almost like a statement. Alice looked away from her where she was, standing in her arms, to me and gave me a reassuring look.

"We can explain; she won't hurt you." Smith said, making me tear my eyes away from the strangely happily couple in the threshold.

"I don't understand. I'm supposed to be dead." I frowned, and Mia, who already was grinning, smiled proudly, and took a few steps closer to me.

"That's because of me." She said, and her smile turned gentle and warm. Then, slowly and softly, she reached over and placed her hand on my leg. I twitched as the cold from her now vampire body touched me, and I was just about to ask her what she was doing when I _felt_ it. Warmth, joy, safety; All those feelings rushed through my body, and I could feel how it all came from the same source; _her hand_. It was like she was transmitting all those good feelings and in return took all the bad ones.

I gasped in awe and chock, and stared at her as she removed her hand.

"What was that?" I yelled, now suddenly regaining my voice that before had been so quiet and helpless.

"_That_ was what saved you five days ago." Alice said, and her answer made my chin fall to the ground.

"_Five days?_ I've been out for _five_ days?" I exclaimed, even louder this time. "Can someone _please_ explain to me what's going on here?"

Alice walked to the chair she had been sitting in and sat down again. After a deep breath, she began to explain in a sincere voice.

"After you died, everything became a mess….A _lot_ of stuff happened. The wolves, Smith, me…we all exploded with anger. The fight didn't last much longer. In the end, it was only Mia, us and Luigi left, who had been standing like a coward beside, never lifting a finger."

"That's when I revealed my other skill." Mia said, and for once her smile was gone from her face. "Luigi he…it was he who changed me. He placed himself in the middle of the road when Liz and I were on our way home and made us crash. After the change, he …he manipulated me. He tricked me into believing that none of my friends loved me and that my family wasn't missing me at all. Now, I realized why I became affected at all, but I'll explain that in a minute.

"Luigi was filled with hate. His target was you, all the way from the beginning, and every second I spent with the man, you could just see how the disgust inside him just grew and grew. And in the end…I just couldn't take it anymore, so I touched one of the vampires and did this." She said, and grabbed one of the rosees that was resting in a glass filled with water that stood on a table by the bed.

Rose, was colorful and alive and slowly, as the seconds began to pass, it began to crumble in her hand, and lost all its colors until it was brown and dead. I watched in awe, and began to once again fear the girl in front of me.

"You…you did _that_ to a _person_?"

"Yes. I can do it to anything concrete in the world and it will crumble just as bad as this flower. If this was you, you would be dead within seconds."

"And you did that to Luigi?" I asked, and she nodded.

"Yes." She said, not taking her eyes from the dead flower in her grasp, and then, as strangely as it had crumbled to death, it slowly began to regain its colors, rising to life once again.

"Wha…? How did you do that?" I exclaimed, as puzzled as I had been the moment I saw the same flower falling apart.

"That's exactly what I did to you a few minutes ago. These are…my powers. I can heal or destroy any concrete object. But there are fallbacks."

Her face got severe, and her eyes fell to the floor.

"I…if I don't get enough of either of it, I feel sick. And that's just strange because vampires don't get sick or need to rest, but apparently I _do, _and_-_." She began to ramble, like she always did when she got nervous or upset.

"Wait, I don't understand." I interrupted which made her look up. Our eyes connected, and it took her a few seconds to answer me.

"If I heal too much and don't destroy anything or vice versa, I feel sick. That's how I became influenced by his manipulation. His hate made me want to destroy things around me, and the more I destroyed, the worse I felt. But he kept pushing me to do it and I just…" she trailed off in sadness, and sobs began to develop in her throat.

"I'm so sorry! I never meant to hurt so many people! I never killed anyone for their blood but…but I was on their side! And I hate myself that it never occurred to me that what I was doing was wrong and…" she trailed off once again and began to sob dryly against her pale, white hands. Alice slowly patted her soothingly, and spoke in a soft tone of voice.

"It's not your fault, Mia. As you said, you never killed someone for their blood and besides, if you weren't here, Bella wouldn't have survived."

She looked up from her hands and stared at her with eyes that looked like they wanted to cry so badly but couldn't. "I know, it's just…Liz died, and all I could think about was blood. It's almost everything I think about, all the time." She said, and her eyes came to me. They darkened noticeably, and I swallowed loudly in a sign of fear, which made her sigh.

"I should've rested longer. I'll go and hunt for a while and then check on Edward." That name made my heart stop. It was sort of absurd, really. How could I forget him, in a situation like this?

"Edward? What's wrong, is he okay? I want to see him, take me to him!" I said, and began to get out of the bed where I had supposedly been resting in five days. Smith immediately restrained me, and pushed me back to the big, fluffed pillows behind my back.

"Stay, you're not supposed to go anywhere at the moment." He said in a commanding yet soothing voice.

"You're not answering my question! I want to know if he's alright!" I retorted angrily, and fought against his iron solid grip.

"Mia, Smith, come with me outside, I need to have a word with you." Alice suddenly said, and I frowned, feeling confused and angry. What? I wanted to know how my boyfriend is; how her _brother _is, and she just says that she needs a word with them outside? What is this?

"What?Why aren't you answering me?" I asked, but none of them said anything. Then, Smith, Mia and Alice just left the room, not saying a word, and I was just about to run from the bed I was lying in and follow them out the door when I heard the sound of the lock.

"Stay." Smith repeated, like I was a dog disobeying, and I sighed loudly in frustration. As they were out talking, I took my time to look around the room. The walls were painted in a white, boring color, and the floor was dark and wooden. It had no windows to let any light in, but there were plenty of lamps in the room, so it was hardly dark. There a few furniture were placed in the room; a few chairs, a table and a bookshelf, but other than that, it was pretty empty. The sheet I was lying on was soft and expensive looking. All these things were so familiar in a way, but no matter how hard I thought, I couldn't recognize any of it.

The longer the others stayed outside, the more it freaked me out. Observing a room for a few minutes was hardly enough to occupy me from worrying about Edward. Something was wrong, I knew it. Was he hurt? Or worse than that; dead? I removed that last thought from my brain, and began to breathe deeply, not wanting to hyperventilate.

_He's probably fine. Mia was going to check on him, right? That means that he's fine….right?_

My thoughts weren't precisely comforting, and I tried to focus on the bright side when finally, Smith and Alice reentered the room. Mia was nowhere in sight, which meant she probably already left, and their solemn faces made me even more freaked of than before.

"Don't look like that! Tell me; is he alright!" I exclaimed, not being able to take the unbearable pain of not knowing if he was safe.

"He's not hurt Bella, please calm down." Smith said, but no matter how much I tried, that uneasy feeling refused to go away.

"As we told you; a lot of things happened after you died. Please just don't freak out as we explain what happened." Alice said, and it sounded more like a demand than a request. "Okay, as we said before we got all off track; Mia finally realized she was on the wrong side, and since he didn't expect she would turn on him, he was taken aback when she suddenly touched him. It only took a few seconds, and then he was gone. He just collapsed on the ground, grey and lifeless. No one on our side expected this, and for a few moments, the earth just stood still. But then, like she was a hungry animal, she rushed to your side and kneeled before you. The wolves, especially Jacob, went nuts, and started to charge towards her. She would've been ripped to shreds if I hadn't stopped them." she explained, and then took a small break before she continued.

"I got this vision that she would heal you, so I refused to let anyone get close to you, and just focused on you and her, ignoring any other vision. Afterwards, she told us you could be saved because your soul was still present and that if we had waited a few hours, it would've been too late. But at that point, she just kept on mumbling that it wasn't too late, that it wasn't your time. I was so busy focusing on you, I didn't notice It; I didn't see it in time." she said.

"Noticed what? Come on Alice, tell me!" I complain impatiently, and she sighed.

"The volturi. The volturi came." Smith said, and I frowned, feeling betrayed as he said their name. The volturi. They had promised to come and help us, Julie said so. And they showed up when it was over? I really didn't like these people.

He continued after taking a deep breath."Their entrance was unexpected in a way. The whole fight, all of us hoped for them to come, but once it was over, we forgot all about it. We got the most surprised by the fact that it wasn't just Jane and some minions. _Aro_ came. Aro, Caius _and_ Marcus came, plus some of the guard. The wolves felt really uneasy by this, but never attacked. Aro seemed to know absolutely everything about the situation, and even greeted us with a smile. None of them commented anything about Mia and you, and instead just spoke to me. All of us were distracted by things, that's why we didn't see it."

"See it? See what?" I asked when a knock on the door was heard. Without waiting for an answer, a young girl entered the room, wearing a dark cape around her shoulders. She almost looked like a toddler with those childish features of hers. Her hair was blond and arranged in a neat bun on her head, and I was just about to ask her who she was when I saw her eyes: piercing red. The fact that she was a vampire shocked me; I didn't know that it existed such young vampires in the world. She looked irritated as she stepped inside, and you could see she had no joy of being here.

"Aro asked if you could see him." She said in her cold voice to Alice.

"Why are you here?" Smith asked, sounding as confused as I felt. In a blink of an eye, those annoyed features turned into a wicked smile, and I heard how Smith grunted.

"Smith, such a _pleasant _surprise." She said, and you could hear the irony in her words. The smile dropped, and she went back to be the annoyed porcelain doll she was from the beginning. Then, without a warning, her glaring gaze turned to me.

"He wishes to see her. Aro sent me to make sure he didn't _do_ anything to her." She said, and I was just about to ask who wanted to see me, when _he_ stepped into the room. I gasped, and stared at the horrifying scene in front of me. I couldn't believe it. I _wouldn't_. In front of me, pale as moon and with eyes red as blood, stood he. His expression was as pained as I felt inside, and it was like some of the warmth I always had seen in him, growing up, had disappeared, replaced by cold.

The man I had worried so much about, the man I loved now stood meters away from me, not breathing. And as Edward looked up to meet my eyes, I shakily whispered to him, testing the words on my tongue.

"You're a vampire…"

**Playlist: Fools In Love – Inara George **

**A/N: Okay, I just went from evil to super evil. I hope you liked it a little bit at least (besides that horrible cliffy). But don't worry, I'll post the next chapter this weekend so I won't keep you waiting :)  
Please review!/ RF**


	29. Decisions

**A/N: See? I told you I would update this weekend :) I hope you'll like it, please read it and enjoy!**

**Chapter 29: Decisions**

**BPOV**

He remained silent, but nodded slowly, confirming my fear. I stared at him, feeling how I slowly broke down inside.

"No, no, no, no…."I began to mumble to myself, my breaths shortening. Sobs got caught in my throat, and in started to have trouble breathing. Edward looked at me with sad, worried eyes, and I tried my best to remain calm, but it was impossible. I died, and when I miraculously come back, my boyfriend is a vampire! There was no freaking way I could stay calm.

"Bella, breathe." He spoke, his voice low, soft. It was smooth like velvet, and it was almost impossible to disobey. I closed my eyes, feeling how a few tears began to escape my eyes, and counted to ten, breathing as deeply as I could. My head slowly stopped spinning, and even though I felt okay, I waited to open my eyes. I didn't want to believe what I just had learned was true, but I knew that if I opened my eyes, it would be there, destroying my hope in believing it was all a lie.

I sighed, and opened them anyway, and looked at him with the same sad eyes he regarded me with.

"Are you alright?" he asked, his voice still low.

"Yes, thank you." I answered even though I felt anything _but_ fine.

The room fell into silence, and the two of us just stared at each other, longing, sadness and fear lingering in our eyes. How did this happen? We were best friends since middle school, and now one of us was a vampire and the other one was recovering from death. How did our lives get so twisted and dark?

"Could you give us a moment in private?" he asked, looking at the others. Smith and Alice looked uncertain, like the wanted to do it, but didn't really think it was such a good idea. The doll girl however, just scoffed, like he was stupid.

"No." her voice was curt and cold, like ice splitting through the air. She gave him a warning glare, and then looked at Alice. "Aro doesn't like to wait. I suggest you go." She told her, but it sounded more like a demand than a suggestion. Alice looked at the two of us with an apologetic face, and then hurried out the room. The four of us remained, and I took a deep breath before I could speak.

"How did it happen?"

His eyes lingered at me a few seconds before he began to explain, and I felt the great sorrow inside of me knowing that I would _never_ see his emerald green eyes again. "As you…died, the Volturi came. A newborn that had fled to the side, hiding, went crazy because of all the blood you had lost, and charged against me. No one saw it coming, not even Alice, and they didn't have a chance to stop him before he bit me. They all decided it was best to take us away from the forest, and they moved us to the Lewis's house, since Julie knew the Volturi. The turn took 3 days, and the last 2, I've been learning what a vampire means." He explained, staring at me. "But, in a way, I was lucky."

I frowned, like he was a mad man speaking. _Lucky_? Nothing about this situation was _lucky_. "What?"

He saw my expression and gave me a soothing look. "When you turn… the pain is excruciating. It's like fire, travelling through your every vein, making you scream and wish for a quick death to end it all. It's like that, for three days, but as I said…I was lucky."

The doll girl that stood beside him now spoke, like she was annoyed that he spoke of this matter, and just wanted it to be over with. "My brother, Alec, used his powers to help him through the pain. He can cut off people's senses; sense of smell, hearing, sight…and _pain_." She said, grinning at the last part. "I, on the other hand, use the illusion pain. It's a much more fun gift than my brother's dull abilities." She said, and laughed to herself. My limbs were ice still in the bed, and I looked at her carefully, trying not to show the disgust and fear I felt.

"That's just because you're a sadist." Smith mumbled audibly, sounding rather sour. The doll girl gave him a fierce, evil smile and Smith, whose eyes became vacant at first, then fell down to the ground, gripping his head and screaming in pain. I watched the scene in fear, and felt how my breathing escalated.

"Stop…"I whispered, but my voice was drowned in his screams that echoed through the room.

"Jane, stop it." Edward said, but her eyes still lingered on Smith. Then, slowly, she let her gaze travel to Edward, and her lips that before had smiled evilly, now wore an annoyed pout.

"Always about ruining the fun, aren't you?"Jane said angrily, like a child who was being scolded, and crossed her arms in front of her, staring at Edward coldly. Smith, who had stopped screaming, rose from the ground, and shot her a glare.

Edward watched her with troubled eyes, and then like he had one of Alice's visions, his eyes became vacant. I instantly began to fear he had been put through the same torture Smith had, and felt how my heart began to beat faster in the panic I felt.

"Edward, what's wrong?" I asked, and the moment I had spoken, his eyes flashed to me.

"No, no. Everything's fine." he said, and gave me weak smile. His eyes that had been bright red when he entered now had become darkly crimson, almost black.

"Are you alright? You look hungry." I noted, and his jaw clenched.

"I told you." Jane said in a gloating voice, and anger flashed over Edwards godlike features, and a growl escaped his lips. The sound was animalistic, and in some sort of way, it really was a wakeup call for me. He wasn't a human anymore. A human that could keep his cool in conversations that bothered him, and resist any meal he was offered. He was a vampire, a newborn.

"Now, now, don't be put out, dear child." A voice said, and a male entered the room. He was a vampire, just like the rest of the people in the room, and his eyes were as red as the doll girl's. His hair was black and dark, and he was wearing an identical cloak like Jane had, and my eyes grew as I realized who it was. It was the vampire from the picture I had seen in the twins' room. It was the vampire leader of the Volturi; Aro.

A smile entered Aro's lips as he saw me. "And this must be Bella." He said and came towards me with long, graceful strides, and reached for my hand when Edward growled again, glaring at the powerful leader. I frowned, not understanding why he had reacted why he did, but Aro just laughed.

"Oh my, what happened to my manners? I'm sorry Edward, I'll introduce myself to your girlfriend properly. Hello Bella, my name is Aro. I assume _Smith_ had told you about me?" he asked, saying Smith with a sour tone, and gave him a small, icy glare. Smith nodded and so did I and that seemed to restore his good mood just in seconds.

"Oh, what luck! Then would you mind if I took your hand?" his question made my frown deepen, and I was just about to ask why, when he laughed.

"Ah, he must've missed that detail. I'm like your friend here, in a way, but much more limited. If I touch someone, I can see all the thoughts that person ever have had. Of course, being able to read them without a physical touch is just so much _convenient_."

"Eh…" I began, not sure what I was supposed to say. "I…guess that's alright." I said, and his face lit up like he was a child on Christmas day. He eagerly grabbed my hand, gently of course, and closed his eyes, like he was in some sort of deep concentration. I had no idea what I was waiting for, if I was supposed to feel something and all, when he suddenly opened his eyes again, and let go of my hand.

"Hmm. Interesting…." He said, not looking as happy as he had been a few seconds ago.

"What is it?" I asked, wondering what he had seen.

"It seems like I'm no exception to this mental resistant you have. Not even I can read your thoughts." He said, and he seemed to be amused and bemused by this discovery. His revelation made me happy, in a way. Not Smith, Edward nor Aro could see or change what happened inside this skull of mine. The privacy you normally took for granted seemed extra appreciated in moments like these.

Aro shook his head with a small smile on his lips, and then clapped his hands together. "Now, enough about this. Edward, you look awfully worn out. Jane dear, take Edward for a hunt. I wouldn't want him to eat her before I've had a chance to talk with her." He said. "But try not to take too long. I want you both here later for the discussions." Jane nodded and then exited the room. Edward, who looked unhappy by this decision, gave me one last look before he followed Jane out the threshold, leaving me with Smith and Aro. Aro looked back at me, and gave me a friendly smile.

"How are you, my dear? You seem awfully perky for someone who's been on the other side and back."

"I'm fine, I guess." I told him, feeling a little bit uncomfortable, speaking so lightly with this vampire stranger I never had met in my entire life.

"Wonderful! I was wondering if you were feeling well enough to exit your bed and follow me downstairs. We were about to start a discussion with the rest of the ones here. Are you well enough to join us?"

"I-"I began, but was immediately interrupted by Smith, who clearly thought it was a bad idea.

"I don't think that's such a good idea. She just woke up and isn't ready for-" Aro, who seemed to be a very cheerful person to others who wasn't named Smith, gave him a fierce glare, and spoke to him in a chilly voice.

"Did I ask you?"

Smith gulped, and shook his head. Aro raised his eyebrow, and then smiled evilly. "I didn't think so." He turned his head to me, and looked at me questioningly. "Are you fit to go downstairs?"

"I think so." I said, and his smile grew by my decision.

"Excellent! I'll go and tell the others." He said, stroked me gently on my cheek, and then disappeared out of the room in vampire speed.

I looked at him with raised eyebrows, and spoke. "What did you do to piss off that guy?"

He looked away, not meeting my eyes, and spoke in an uncomfortable voice. "Something we don't have to discuss right now. Something bad."He then looked back at me with worried eyes, and raised one eyebrow. "Speaking of bad decisions…"

I rolled my eyes at him, and sighed. "I'll be fine, really."

He didn't look convinced, but walked to the other side of the bed and removed the quilt from me. "Alright, I'll agree on this with one condition. If you feel pain; any pain at all, then I'll take you back. Alright?"

I sighed at his overly protective manners, and sat up, pushing my legs off the bed. "Fine, but don't over reactive." I said, and then stood up on my unsteady legs. I immediately fell towards the floor, but Smith luckily caught me, and straightened me up.

"That's it, you're not going." He said, and tried to make me go back into the bed. I sighed once again, and glared at him.

"Ok, here's how it's going to be. Either you help me get downstairs and make sure I won't fall, or I'll do it myself. It's your choice. Either way, I'm still going." We stared at each other for a few seconds, seeing if either of us would give up, and then, sighing deeply, Smith took my arm over his shoulders in support. "Fine. God you're stubborn." He sighed. Once we had exited the room, I recognized the place immediately. I had never been in the room I had slept in, but I guess the twins thought it wasn't necessarily to show me _exactly_ every corner of the house. Together, in a rather slow pace, we began to make our way downstairs. All my limbs were stiff and rather sore as I moved, so I was hardly gracious as I made my way down the staircase, but at least I got somewhere. We walked to the living room, and once we got there, I got attacked by three familiar faces, all hugging me at once.

"Ow." I groaned as they hit a sore spot, and the twins immediately removed themselves from me, Julie hanging on the longest. Her deep blue eyes were filled with tear, and even though the twins didn't cry, they looked relieved as well.

"Sorry about that." Rick began, giving me a small smile.

"We're just happy to see you. Alive that is." Mick finished. Julie looked like she was about to burst into a flood of tears, and took out a few napkins from her pocket and dried her eyes.

"Oh Bella…" she trailed off, short on words.

"It's alright, I'm okay." I reassured her, not wanting her to worry. I looked passed her to see that they weren't the only ones there. Alice sat alone in one of the sofas, and when our eyes met, she gave me a small smile. Aro and 3 other vampires with cloaks stood in another part of the room, discussing something. One of them I first thought was Jane was a young boy. His features was identical to hers except more manly, and I realized this had to be Alec, her brother. He stood next to the 3 discussing vampires with a tranquil expression, and as our eyes met, I shuddered. His eyes were as red as the others', and there was something with that boy that freaked me out. Aro, who seemed to abruptly end their small discussion, smiled as I stepped into the room, and gestured me to Alice.

"Bella! I'm glad you came. Please, have a seat." He said, and I did as I was offered with a little help from Smith. Alice grasped my hand as I sat down beside her, and I squeezed it back. Surely, we would get through this in some kind of way…right?

The others followed our examples and sat down as well, and Aro was the first one to speak.

"I'm glad you all could come here for our small little…meeting." He said, smiling wide. He gestured towards the two men that sat beside him; one blonde and one rather bored-looking one, and spoke.

"This is Caius and Marcus, the other two rulers of the Volturi." He said, and the blond one gave me a small smile. "I'm Caius, for you who don't already know." He said, watching me as he did with an interested look in his eyes.

Aro then gestured me and spoke in an almost proud tone."As you all see here, Bella is recovered to her normal self."

Caius wore a bewildered expression, and cooked his head to the side. "How do you feel?" he asked. That question had almost lost all its meaning since it was tossed around so much at the moment, but answering it one more time wouldn't hurt me.

"I'm fine, thank you." I answered him, and his glowing, red eyes watched me for yet a few more second. His blond hair was rather long, like Aro's and the other male that sat in the room besides Alec. The other vampire called Marcus, looked slightly bored, almost sad from where he sat, and watched me with his dull eyes.

"A miracle, isn't it?" Aro said, joy radiating from him.

"Yes…" the blonde trailed off, watching me thoughtfully. You could see by the look of his expression that he was puzzled by all this. Then, like a reaction, all of the vampires' heads snapped into the direction of the threshold. Us humans did the same, only much slower, and I was surprised, and a little bit happy to see Mia, Edward and Jane standing there. None of their eyes were dark anymore but shining red, and the minute I met Edward's eyes, he frowned.

"Why is she here? Isn't she supposed to rest?" Edward asked Aro, standing in the threshold.

"We're glad you're back. I hope you enjoyed your meal." Caius said in a mocking tone, why I had no idea.

"Bella decided she was well enough to join us." Aro said, answering his question. His eyes travelled back to me, and he gave me a questioning look.

"Are you sure? You don't have to do this if you don't feel well enough." He said, his jaw clenched and his nostrils flaring.

"I…I'm fine." I said, still chocked by seeing him like this. "Are you okay?" I asked, and you could see he knew what I meant. The hunger, the pain. I knew he felt it, standing here, talking to us. When I saw him earlier, it didn't seem to be that bad, but I'm sure he just hid it from me.

Aro watched us with a mused smile, and without turning his eyes away from us, he spoke to Alec.

"Alec, would you mind helping Edward with the hunger? I would like to have all of them here for the discussion."

"Yes master." He said, but you could hear he didn't like it that much. He turned his eyes to Mia, who stood beside Jane. "And her?"

Before Aro could answer, Mia gave them a small smile that didn't exactly radiate joy and spoke. "I'll handle it." She said, and then brought up a book she was holding in her hand. "Destroying stuff makes the hunger go away for awhile." She said and then ripped out a page from it and let it slowly dissolve in her grip. Alec shrugged, not looking like he cared, but the three leaders watched her with admiring and interested eyes.

"Better?" Alec asked Edward after a few seconds, and he nodded.

"Well then, please join us." Aro said with a satisfied smile, and the three other vampires walked inside. Jane instantly joined her brother in the small sofa he sat in, and without further warning, Mia and Edward sat down next to me and Alice. Edward gripped my hand softly, and watched him with worried eyes. He couldn't stand being a few meters from me, talking for five minutes, and now he was sitting beside me?

"Are you going to be okay? I can move-"I began, speaking quietly but he shook his head.

"It's alright. Alec has removed my sense of smelling and the hunger from my mind, so don't worry; you'll be safe." He retorted, answering in the same low tone. We weren't precisely unheard in the room full of vampires, but it felt better speaking softly with each other than like normal.

"It wasn't precisely me I was worried about…" I mumbled, and he chuckled and then softy kissed me on my forehead. His touch was cold, but in some strange way, it spread warmth through my entire body. I just wanted to close my eyes and forget all the problems around us, pretending it was only him and me, normal and happy.

"I was wondering…" Aro asked, trailing off, watching Edward. Edward took his arm around me, and watched him sourly. "You'll have to ask her." He said, and Aro's eyes travelled to mine.

"I was wondering," Aro repeated."If I could test of this mind shield of yours is really immune to any illusion gift. Jane?"

Edward immediately began to growl angrily, and I stiffened in his grip. Alice placed a hand on his shoulder in a soothing gesture, and he quieted down slightly. Jane grinned from where she sat together with her amused brother. I stared at Aro, who was watching me with almost pleading eyes, and I looked back to Edward. He looked worried, and his eyes scared me. But defying Aro would be even scarier. I took a deep breath, and ran through the options through my head over and over again. Sure it would hurt. I saw how it had affected Smith. But it would over in just the matter of seconds, right?

I was just about to open my mouth and tell him I would do it when Alice and Edward began to smile. I frowned at Edward, and he lowered his mouth to my ear and spoke in a very, _very_ low voice. I was even unsure if the other vampires heard his voice. "It's okay, it won't hurt. You're immune against her."

I felt a wave of relief wash over me, and I let my eyes return to Aro, who was watching us curiously. "Yes, it's fine."

"Wonderful!" he exclaimed, and Jane, who looked extremely happy turned her eyes to me. As she stared, I began to wonder if Alice's vision really was true, but when Jane's eyes became narrowed and she glared at me angrily, I felt safe again. Alice and Edward wasn't the only supernatural freak in the room.

"Now, now Jane. It seems like our dear Bella was immune to you after all. Would you mind if Alec tried as well?" he asked me, and I shook my head. Alec's ability didn't inflict pain; rather the opposite. So if his ability worked, I wouldn't have to worry about that. But I don't really think it will work this time either. 4 people had tried and failed. If he succeeded, would be rather surprised.

Alec looked at me, not looking as happy as before. And in silence, we all waited for a reaction.

"She would've been affected by now. Her mental shield makes her immune to all of us." Alec then spoke, announcing what we all had figured. I though thought what they called it sounded a little strange; 'Mental shield'.

"Fascinating…" Aro said, watching me with great interest. He turned to Marcus, and spoke with excitement. "And you, Marcus? Can you see the bonds around her?"

Marcus turned his head to us and watched us with thoughtful eyes."Yes…" he said slowly, not taking his eyes off us. Aro turned to him, wanting him to elaborate, and Marcus took a deep breath before he spoke again. "Their bond…it's incredibly strong. I wouldn't have expected this from such a odd pair." He said, watching me.

Aro smiled, and then looked at Julie. "You sure know who to get to know, don't you Julie?"

She gave him a smile, and nodded. Then, her expression turned grave, and she spoke. "Those kids are very special to me. I would appreciate if you would do everything you could not to hurt them." she said, and for the first time, I saw Aro's smile falter. He became serious and regarded us as we at in the sofa.

"You know I'll try for you Julie, but rules are rules."

Confusion began to fill my head. What were they talking about? Hurting us?

Alec and Jane both began to smile, and Caius's face became more interested than before. Aro looked around the room, meeting everyone's eyes, and then stopped to look at me.

"Alright, I suggest we start the discussion now." He said, and the others in the room made small noises in agreement. He looked at Smith and raised one eyebrow. "As we all know, Smith broke the most important rule in the Volturi; not exposing what we are to humans. We cannot let this slip."

All of the Volturi members besides Marcus and Aro, grinned evilly at Smith, whose face was slightly shocked and troubled.

"I say we execute him. His crimes stop here. That way, we won't have to deal with the consequences he'll cause later."

Jane giggled, and watched Smith with amused, thoughtful eyes. "I like that idea. But only if pain is involved." I shivered at her serious voice, and Edward, who had tensed up at the subject, held me slightly closer.

Marcus shook his head, and looked at the rest of the people in the room. "He was loyal. All those years he spent with us, he served us and no one else. I say he gets to live, and in some other way gets to atone for his crimes."

Aro nodded, and gave Smith a thoughtful look. "Hmmm. You both have good points. Killing him would be so much simpler…but he _did_ serve us all those years. His job was hardly perfect, but it was done." Aro nodded to himself, and turned his eyes to Mia and Edward. "And then we have you two."

I tensed in my seat. Why was he talking about them? What did they have to do with the picture? They were talking about Smith

"What about them?" Alice asked, first one to speak. Her voice was steady, almost challenging, and Aro's hard face broke out into a small smile. "Alice, Alice, our dear Alice. I know you hold both of them dear but they can't stay here, and you know that. 2 newborns all alone in a city with no one to watch them…it's not an option."

My veins nearly froze to ice as I heard him speak. They can't stay? Are they leaving? Is Aro going to force them to join the Volturi and never let us see them again?

I didn't to dear to speak; my voice would crack and I would burst into tears the second I tried. Instead, I leaned back into Edward's arms and breathed deeply, trying to calm myself down so I could think.

"Would you like to join us? Your abilities would be highly appreciated in the Volturi's guard." Aro said, and you could hear that he was very interested in this option. I leaned forward so I could look back at him, and his expression was hard, his jaw locked. Mia didn't look that happy as well, and she ripped out several leafs in one action, only to destroy them in seconds.

"We appreciate the offer, but I we're not interested. None of us wants to drink human blood, and we'd want to stay here." Edward said, and the sincerity in his voice made my heart jump.

Aro smiled, like he was speaking to a child who didn't understand the real picture. "I don't think you understand. You _can't_ remain here with your girlfriend, living your old life. That ship has sailed." He said quite harshly and then gave Alec a meaningful look. Alec turned to Edward, and the second he did, I could feel how Edward tensed behind me. In a split of a second, growls were heard, and Edward pushed me away from him roughly, making me fall onto Alice. I looked up, and I saw Smith, standing before me in a protective crouch, growling at Edward, who was growling back at him. They were acting like animals, both of them, and I really thought one of them would get killed. Then, Aro spoke.

"Jane." He said, and like someone had turned a switch, both of the vampires were lying on the floor screaming in pain. I watched in fear as Edward screamed clutching his head like it was exploding from the inside.

"Stop! Make it stop, please!" I begged them, not standing the sound of their pained screams. Aro looked at Jane and Alec, and nodded. Jane looked at the two screaming vampires on the floor, and then, in the matter of seconds, they had stopped. Both of them rose from the ground, panting as they did, and they stared at Aro, who looked at them with a thoughtful expression.

"Do you understand why you cannot remain here? If Alec or Smith hadn't been here, Bella would've been dead." He said, and the words hit me like a punch. Edward…he had tried to kill me.

Alice gripped my hand, and took me into her arms. "It's okay…" she whispered, and stroked my back in small, gently movements.

I looked back at Edward, and his face was heartbroken. He watched me with sad, horrified eyes, and then looked back at Aro. "Yes."

"_Good_. Now take a seat, both of you." He commanded, and both of them sat down. Edward sat down in his previous seat, but much further away from me. I looked at him, and his eyes met mine, screaming for forgiveness. I looked back at Alice, and like she had read my mind, she let go of me and pushed me back to Edward. Yes, I may be mad for getting close to him again, but otherwise he would give himself a hard time, and I wouldn't want that either.

I grasped his hand and gave him a reassuring look, telling him it was okay. _We'll get through this, we'll get through this…_

Aro watched us with thoughtful eyes, and then went back to Smith. "Alright, here's what I think we should do. Mia and Edward must follow us back to Volterra as we go back; it's their only choice." He began, and I gripped Edward's hand harder. So there was no alternative. Aro would take them away from us to Italy to isolate them from humans and learn them how to act civilized. But how long would that be?

"And for Smith…Smith should live," he said, and Caius, Jane and Alec protested, but Aro continued. "And atone to his crimes, like Marcus said. I believe his gifts are too good to be wasted; we could still use them in the Volturi." He said, and I became relieved in a way. Even though I didn't _like_ Smith, he had still done several good things to us. Seeing him die because of me…that's not something I want to happen.

Caius, who still looked annoyed by the decision, turned to Aro and raised one eyebrow questioningly. "Then what should his punishment be?"

Aro turned to Smith, and he cooked his head to the side with a thoughtful expression. "Yes…what will be the most suitable punishment?" he asked, and then stood up, walking over to him. He grabbed his hand and for a few moments, his eyes stared forward, vacantly. Then, he let it go, and began to chuckle to himself.

"What?" Caius asked, not understanding what was so funny at the moment. He wasn't alone. I stared at him, frowning, when I heard Edward sigh behind me. I looked at him questioningly and was just about to ask him what he had heard when Aro spoke again.

"I think I know the best way to deal with both of our little problems." He said, and all of us leaned forward in our seats, eager to hear what it was.

"What?" Smith asked, and Aro turned to him, grinning.

"You will rejoin the Volturi, swearing your loyalty to us. And as punishment for your stupidity, _you_ will take care of these two the next year or two."

**Playlist: Death And All Of His Friends – Coldplay**

**A/N: That's it for this time! I hope you liked it, and I'll update the next chapter next weekend! :D Have to go and watch the EMA's now, so I hope you had a great weekend :D Please review/RF**


	30. It's Time

**Chapter 30: It's time**

**BPOV**

Smith stared at him, like he didn't believe what he was saying. The whole room fell into silence, and I think nobody believed their ears. _Smith_ would take care of Edward and Mia in _Volterra_? I guess chock had kept me from freaking out. When they talked about Edward not staying here before, I understood what they said, but my brain refused to let something in. But now, several minutes later, realization hit me, and I felt how my heart began to beat faster and faster in slowly rising panic. My breaths came faster and faster, and with all my power, I tried my best not to have a panic attack.

Edward and Mia…they were going to Volterra with Smith together with the Volturi, and they were going to leave us here for a year? What if they _never_ came back? I knew they both were vampires and that if they stayed it would be a danger for all the humans living here, but both of them were doing a pretty good job now, what would stop them later? I just wanted them to stay here with us…

Mia was the first one to speak, and her voice was skeptical. "So if I understand you correct…you want _us_," she said, pointing at Edward and her. "To follow you back to Volterra and join you there for a year or two with him as our babysitter?" pointing at Smith.

Aro looked at her and then gave her a small smile. "Yes, that is right."

She looked at him for a few second of silence and then shook her head. "I'm sorry but I'm afraid I'll have to decline your offer."

The room fell into silence again, and Aro looked at her, frowning. "Come again?"

She sighed, and I could see she fought to stay calm. "I don't want to follow you to Italy. I want to stay here with my family, with my friends. Edward and I could stay here; we don't need your help."

Aro's smile faltered and his eyes became hard as stone. It looked like his patience had dried out completely. "It seems like you two don't understand what I'm telling you. You _can't_ remain here. Your hunger will be consistent. As newborns, the hunger will never fade completely no matter how much you feed. Sure Mia, you're handling it much better than Edward here, who has to rely on that Alec don't stop tranquilizing him. You're submissive for now when we're here, but it when we leave, which we will in the matter of time, your hunger would get worse, and your animalistic instincts would take over."

She frowned, like she knew he was telling the truth, but wanted another option, and looked at Smith, who was staring at Aro, still chocked by his decision."But can't he remain here with us, supervising us? If you're so determined that we should have him as a babysitter, why can't we all stay here? He could still have joined the Volturi."

Aro shook his head, and turned his eyes towards me. I didn't notice it until he looked at me and my mind instantly became self-conscious, that I was shaking. My breaths were deep and as we stared into each other's eyes, I saw how his eyes slowly became softer, sympathizing me.

"It's not possible. If you stay here, there's a chance you might hurt your loved ones. If you do, you'll have to live with that for eternity. Is that something you're willing to risk?" his eyes went back to her, and I saw how the fire that had been burning so fiercely inside of her, now slowly died out.

"In Volterra, we could teach you how to become excellent vampires, civilized even." Caius now spoke, watching Edward. "If you learn well, you might be able to meet your friends here in less than a year."

Edward's eyes went to mine, and I could see the hesitation in them. None of us liked the options. Stay and risking everything or go and be apart for a year or two. He squeezed my hand gently, like he was afraid I would break if the slightest of pressure would come to my limbs, and then looked at Mia. Mia met his gaze, and after staring at each other for a few seconds, her jaw became hard, and she gripped the book she was holding hard. A dark aura surrounded the book she was holding, and in three seconds, it had been destroyed, leaving only dust and ashes of it. She looked up to Aro, and a strained smile plastered her lips.

"Fine, we'll go."

My heart sank to the bottom of my pit, and I could hear how Aro chuckled contently. "Wonderful! You both will be welcomed in Volterra, that I assure you. Once your time by our side is done, you're free to do whatever you'd like."

I felt sick. It was like someone had punched me in the stomach and then put me on a rollercoaster for three hours. The nausea hit me hard, and my deep breaths weren't enough to keep it away.

"Bella, are you alright? You look pale." Julie suddenly said, and the others eyes came upon me. I looked back at her, and truthfully shook my head. Her concerned face frowned, and then looked at Rick and Mick. "Rick, Mick, please take Bella to the kitchen and get her something to drink."

Julie didn't have to speak twice, and before I could protest, the twins came to my side and helped me off the sofa, leading me out of the room. Edward let go of my hand as I went, and I could feel his worried eyes on me as we walked out. I heard of how Aro commented something about the twins as we were out of the room, but it was all really distant.

None of them spoke as we walked slowly to the kitchen with both of them by my sides, supporting my weight. It was nice, since I wasn't really in shape of holding up a conversation.

We walked into their large, expensive looking kitchen where I had been a few times before, and they helped me down in a stool. I slumped down on it, and leaned against the wall behind it. The world spun, and Rick gave me a concerned look.

"Stay here, okay? I'll go and get you a glass of water." He said, and disappeared out of my sight. Mick walked away as well, and came back with a wet towel. He placed it softly on my forehead, and the wet coolness made some of the nausea go away.

"Sorry about this. You must feel awful, seeing them take him away from you." He said, and I nodded. Tears ran down my cheeks, and the only thing I really felt like doing was going back to the bed I had woken up in and sleep for another five days. Why did they have to do this to us?

Mick gently stroked my cheek, wiping the tears away, and then sat down on the remaining stool beside me. He laid his arm around me, and then drew me to him, making me lay my head against his shoulder. "But you know they're doing this for the good." He said after a few moments, and I scoffed.

"How is this any good in any way?" I said, my voice shaky and low.

"It is. Aro don't want them to hurt you or anyone else in the town, and rather take them with him so they could watch over them than leaving them here, unsupervised. I promise you, it's for the better good. You might not see it now, but it's the best alternative."

I closed my eyes, not managing to look at the spinning world anymore, and took a few deep breaths before I could continue. "I know it is, deep down inside. They'll teach him how to be around humans and act all civilized and that, but just the thought of him leaving me…." I trailed off; afraid my voice might crack if I continued. I took a deep breath before I continued. "I'm just afraid that if he leaves now, he won't come back."

Mick soothingly patted my arm, and as the seconds passed, I could feel how the nausea went away. I opened my eyes, and just as I did, I could see how Rick returned with the glass of water. I sat up straight, and he reached it over to me. I grabbed it thankfully, and gulped it down, like I hadn't seen water for days, and felt how I began to feel 'normal', whatever that is…

"He will come back, I promise. Both of them will. And it won't be like you'll be out of contact the whole time. They have both cell phones and computers down there, even though they have some difficulties using it, and if you feel really medieval, you can even send letters." Rick said, who apparently had heard our whole conversation, and I chuckled at his small joke.

"No, but on a serious note, it will be okay. You can keep in touch the whole year, and when you meet each other again, you'll be glad he was there. They'll really teach him things he can't learn on his own here."

I looked Rick in the eye, and sighed, knowing he was right. My thoughts ran through all kinds of directions as I sat there, wondering what would happen once he left, and I suddenly realized something; our families.

I stared at them, horrified. "Oh my god! I've been here for five days! What about Charlie and the Cullen's? What did you tell them?"

Rick and Mick grinned at my slowness of thinking of things, and then Mick patted my back. "It's all been taken care of. We told them that Alice, Edward and you were having a hard-core study week where you would spend the whole week at our place. We've had some worried calls, but it's all been okay."

Their reassuring voices made me calm down a little, but there was an aching worry that still remained. "But what about Edward? If he'll leave for a year, what will you tell Esme and Carlisle? I'm sure they're okay with a week, but if a person disappears for a year they would get worried."

The twins' faces became serious again. "Yeah, that's a problem. Worst case scenario, we would have to tell them he's dead." Their words made my blood freeze to ice. They saw my reaction, and quickly continued. "_But_ since that's not such a good idea, we could just make Smith compel them into believing something else. Or we could tell them the truth. I'm not sure if Aro thinks telling them the truth is such a good idea, but on the other hand, mom's friends are his and I'm sure she'd really want to tell them…" he trailed off, and then shook his head.

"No, but I don't know. It's something they'll have to decide."

I looked down at the floor and sighed. God, how would we get out of this mess?

***Later***

After a few more minutes of calming down my nerves and drinking the remaining water in the glass, together we walked back. We entered the room in a hectic discussion between Caius and Smith, but the second Aro saw us coming, he silenced them and smiled at us friendly.

"Rick, Mick, how nice of you to help Bella. I understand that you feel better now?" he asked me and I nodded. Both of the twins grinned, and as they helped me down in my previous seat beside Edward, they spoke to Aro jokingly in unison. "What can we say? We know a damsel in distress when we see one."

Aro laughed, and nodded. "Yes, you certainly are."

Edward looked at me with worried eyes, but I gave him a reassuring look. "I'm fine." I whispered to him, and even though he didn't look like be believed me, he nodded and gave me a small squeeze.

"Now, shall we continue?" Aro asked, and without waiting for an answer, he continued. "Alright, it's settled. Edward and Mia will come with us to Volterra and learn the ways of a vampire for the next coming year, and after your training is done, you're free to come back here. Any objections?" he asked, staring at Mia. She stayed silent, but you could see that she didn't like the decision.

"Good. Now let's talk about the wolves." Aro said, and Caius face instantly darkened. I froze in my seat, and frowned. Why did they want to talk about them? I thought Edward and Mia was the main concern.

"I can't believe we let them live." Caius muttered, and Jane and Alec nodded in agreement.

Julie shook her head, and spoke up. "Killing them would be wrong. They're not werewolves; they're shape shifters. All of them are just young, innocence boys who haven't done anything wrong."

Marcus looked at her, and nodded his head. "I suppose you're right. They did defend the humans when needed. I even think I hear someone out there right now." His words surprised me, and I was just about to ask him where the wolf was, when three, firm knocks were heard from the door. Aro smiled, amused.

"Please come in."

We all heard how the door opened, and after a few seconds, Jacob appeared in the threshold. His eyes came towards me immediately, and the worried look in his eyes turned to shock.

"So it's true, you _are_ alive…" he stared at me for seconds, not looking away, and Aro chuckled.

"And this is what you have feared? Caius? A mere boy?" Caius gave Aro a small, warning growl and Jake looked away from me to look around the room. His eyes came towards Edward, and they instantly hardened. His body began to shake slightly, and fear spread through my body. He couldn't shift here! Not in front of the Volturi!

He glared furiously at him, and spoke in a curt voice. "Let go of her hand." His words made me instantly look down on my own hand which was enfolded in his. Edward looked mad as well, and a small, angry growl escaped his lips.

"Now, now boys, we wouldn't want a fight, would we?" Aro said. I looked at Jake, and then realized what he feared. He was worried that Edward was going to hurt me or attack me because he's a newborn. But he wasn't going to hurt me at all. Being tranquilized by Alec made him fearless…for now.

"Jake, it's okay. Alec is keeping away his hunger and pain." I said, and Jake looked back at me.

"But he's a newborn! He could hurt you Bells just by squeezing your hand a little too tight." I sighed at his words, knowing he wouldn't give up unless he got his way, and released my hand from Edward's soft, harmless grip, only to place it on top of his arm. Jake slowly stopped to vibrate, but the hostile look in his eyes didn't go away.

"Please, take a seat if you would." Aro said, and gestured towards the sofa that the twins were sitting in. He took his advice, and sat down beside them stiffly.

"Alright, let's continue the discussion. Tell us about the wolves." Aro said, and Jake obeyed after a few seconds of doubt. He told them about the legend of the wolves, what their abilities were and how they worked in the pack. All of us listened, fascinated by his tales and by the time he was done, I was in awe. I didn't know that much about the wolves, and some of the things he told me were really interesting.

"Fascinating…" Aro said, and smiled towards Edward. "No need to worry, the town will be in good hands while you're gone." He said, and Edward nodded even though he didn't look like he agreed at all.

Suddenly, Jake stiffened, and I was just about to ask him what the matter was when a howl was heard from the outside. All of us froze in our movements, not knowing what this meant and then Jake gave Aro and the others a small smile that hardly radiated any joy. "I have to go." He rose from his seat, and began to walk out of the room.

"Such a shame, I would've loved more tales. It was a pleasure meeting you Jacob." Aro said, and Jake gave him a small nod that probably meant 'right back at you'. He gave me one last look before he disappeared out of the room, leaving me and the Lewis's with the vampires.

Jane wrinkled her nose in disgust, and looked like she wanted to gag. "He smells awful, like a wet dog." Alec chuckled, and nodded. "I agree."

Aro nodded, not looking that overjoyed by the smell himself. "It's not the _nicest_ odors I've come upon through my years, I'll admit that. Now, Smith. Did you and Caius agree on something?"

Smith nodded, and then sighed. "I'll agree to your suggestion. I'll follow you to Volterra and be responsible for Mia and Edward during their stay. I'll also do some choirs for the coming 5 years and I'll always be in your debt through eternity."

Marcus nodded, looking satisfied. He was the only vampire besides Smith who wasn't a fan of violence. Caius looked happy too, and then turned his head towards me and Alice. "And what about them? Will they join us too?" His suggestion made my heart stop inside my chest. Did my ears fail me or was he asking me to join the Volturi too as a vampire?

Aro nodded in agreement, like he thought it was a good idea too, and looked at us. "So? What do you say?"

Edward growled angrily, the sound echoing through the room loudly. Mia hissed as well, not liking the suggestion at all, and Aro hushed them both quiet. "There, there, it was only a mere question. They don't have to do it if they don't want to."

I looked Alice in the eye, and I knew she could see the fear in my eyes. She looked rather calm considering the situation, and shook her head. "No Aro. For the moment, joining you does not appeal for us."

Aro looked at us for a few more seconds, like he waited for us to say we changed our minds, and then shook his head, smiling. "Well, there will always be a next time."

Caius sighed, like he was disappointed at out answer, and then looked at Aro. "When will we go back to Volterra? I need to make some arrangements for our return."

Aro looked at us again, and answered Caius's question. "We'll leave first thing in the morning. Make sure you're prepared, our flight leaves early."

My heart skipped a beat in chock. _Tomorrow!_ I thought they were leaving in…I don't know, two weeks or so! But…tomorrow? That's way too soon! I wanted to spend more time with them, preparing myself for their departure.

"Tomorrow? But that's too soon! And what will you tell my family?" Edward asked, and Aro sighed.

"For the time of our departure, it cannot be changed. And about you family…" he trailed off in thought, looking at Marcus and Caius. "What do you think we should do?"

Caius smiled and looked at Edward. "The easiest way is to tell them you're dead. You'll outlive them anyways." Edward growled at him, and if I was a vampire as well, I would've growled as well. Caius shrugged and Edward and looked back at Aro. "Or do you have any better ideas?"

Marcus cleared his throat, and spoke in his unemotional voice. "What if Smith compels them into thinking that he went to study abroad for a year? That way, he can come back and still be with his family the short time they'll be alive." Marcus idea made me sad yet happy. Happy that Edward would be able to come back to Esme and Carlisle and the others and still be with them…but the other part made me sad. 'Be with them the short time they'll be alive'… I wasn't going to live longer than him. I was only going to become older and older through the years while he stays young and perfect, not ageing a day. What would happen to us? I mean, in the beginning it wouldn't be a problem, but what if people thought I was his mom? Or even worse, his _grandma_?

My skin went cold, and I almost didn't hear Julie's suggestion that came next. "What if we tell them the truth?"

The whole room went quiet and Julie continued, her voice stronger this time. "I've met the Cullen's, they're good people. I believe that they deserve to know the truth about their son."

Aro looked around, having three suggestions to chose from, and shook his head. "This was hard." He looked at Smith with a thoughtful look, and then sighed. "Smith, stay another day and take care of the family. I'll contact you tomorrow when I know what you can tell them."

Smith, who almost looked a little happy by the order he had received, nodded firmly, and earned a smile from Aro. "Good."

Aro was just about to say something more when my yawn disturbed the silence in the room. Alec and Jane chuckled, almost mocking me for being tired, and Aro looked at me. "Dear child, are you feeling tired? Perhaps you should go to bed; it's getting late." I hated to admit that he was right, but I _was_ actually feeling a little woozy. But even thought I did, I didn't want to go to sleep yet. If I did, my time with Edward would shorten, and when I would wake up tomorrow, he would be gone. I shook my head stubbornly, and Aro raised one eyebrow at me, amused.

"Really? Are you sure?" He asked, and his red piercing eyes made me shiver. It was like he gave me another chance to tell the truth. I nodded weakly, hating myself for feeling this way, and Aro smiled.

"I understand. Edward, take her up to her room. Alec, please go with Edward and make sure his hunger stays to a minimum." Aro didn't have to tell them twice, and before I knew it, Edward had scooped me up in his arms, and ran in full vampire speed through the house, up the stairs. I didn't see much, just blurry figures that passed me, and 2 short seconds, I was back in the room I had woken up in. I gasped for the air I apparently had been holding, and laughed as Edward playfully yet gently tossed me on the bed. Edward grinned that crooked grin I loved so much and sat down on the bed beside me. Alec stood in the threshold, not enjoying this as much as we were, and stared at us with bored eyes. You could see that he didn't want to be there at all, but Aro's orders were law.

"Are you feeling okay?" Edward asked, a more serious look entering his before playful eyes.

"I'm okay. It's just that …it's all so _much_." I said, and he scoffed.

"Yeah, least to say. A few weeks ago, the most we had to fear was Alice kidnapping us on dates, and now one of us has returned from death and the other one technically _is_ dead." His truthful words made me sigh, and I lay back on the bed. Edward lay down beside me, and I placed my head on his cold, hard chest. Together, we lay there, not speaking. The silence was nice after all the talking and decision making, but after minutes of just laying next to each other, I finally spoke.

"I don't want you to leave."

Edward's hand that had been stroking my arm, stopped in its movements. "I don't want to leave you. But if I stay…I don't want to hurt you either."

I sighed, knowing he was telling the truth, and snuggled closer to him, like I believed that he would disappear just by speaking of this. "I know, I know. What do you think they'll tell your parents and the others?" I asked, and this time, he sighed.

"I don't know. Aro hasn't decided yet. He's really interested in the compulsion bit, but he also likes the other two options."

His voice was soft, and it was almost like a lullaby in my ears. I closed my eyes, and breathed in his sweet smell. I wish we could've stayed like that forever, with each other, not separating.

"I love you, you know that right?" I said, feeling how my consciousness began to slip away. No matter how hard I fought, it seemed to be impossible to open my eyes again.

"I know, and I love you two Isabella Swan. I love you forever." Was the last thing I heard him say before I fell asleep.

***later* **

My dreams were vivid and scary. Lots of flashing images flew through my mind, all of them being about Edward and his departure. I dreamt about how horrible my life would be without him here in this cold, wet town called Forks. I dreamt that he wouldn't return and that he would leave me here all alone until I died, grey and old. Those images frightened me the most because when I dreamt them, they seemed so real.

I woke up gasping for air, and I instantly became hushed by a soothing, low voice. I immediately recognized it to be Edwards, and it took me a few seconds for my eyes to take in the picture. Edward was standing beside my bed, holding my hand gently. The room was dark, and confusion ran through my head.

"Bella, calm down. It's going to be okay." He said, and it took me a few more seconds to realize what was happening. He was leaving.

"No, no not yet! Please, can't you just stay? Stay a little longer!" I mumbled in my voice weak. I wasn't completely woken already, so everything confused me.

"I'm sorry, but it's time. I can't stay, even though I want to." He whispered, and then, fast as a cobra, he attacked my lips with a kiss. It was sweet, just like his smell, and soft. I closed my eyes, and moved my hands to the back of his head. Just for this moment, I just wanted to forget. Forget that he was leaving; forget that everything was a mess. All I wanted to know was that he and I were kissing, that we were together. Nothing else mattered.

He broke off the kiss too soon, even though it was the longest kiss in the history, and then placed one last, cold kiss on my forehead.

"I love you. I promise I'll come back for you." He said, and then, like a wind had come and swept him away, he was gone. I opened my eyes, but the room was empty. No Edward, just me and the darkness. Tears came slipping down my cheeks, and I felt like someone had punched me in the gut. He was gone.

I began to sob, and crossed my arms across my chest in a weak attempt to make the aching go away. He was gone and I was here, alone.

***The next day***

I looked out the window as we drove down the road. I felt dead inside, like I was a zombie walking, but even though, I had decided to come with them. Both Alice and Smith had asked me thousands of times if I was sure if I wanted to come. They said that I could stay in the Lewis's house another day if I wanted to, taking it easy since it was the day after they left. Their offer was very tempting to tell the truth, but I had to come with them to do this.

"Are you okay?" Alice asked once again, and I turned around in my seat to look at her. Her yellow eyes watched me worriedly, and I gave her a small, reassuring smile.

"It's okay, I guess."

Smith, who was driving the car, stayed silent. He had tried to convince me to stay in bed the whole morning through breakfast, but I was still determined going, so after that, he has been quiet.

"Are you okay?" I asked her back, and she hesitated before she answered me.

"I've been better." She replied. This wasn't easy for neither of us.

"We're here." Smith suddenly declared, and I looked ahead. The Cullen's house was as beautiful and magnificent as it always had been, and I became sad just by looking at it. Since it was a weekend, all of them were probably home, which would make this easier for us. "Are you ready to do this?" Smith asked us, and after a deep breath, Alice answered.

"Yeah, I'm ready." The car stopped, and we all took off our seatbelts without stepping outside. Smith turned to me. "What about you Bella?"

I looked at him, and I saw that he was little bit sad about this too. Aro had contacted us this morning, informing us which decision he had made, and then asked us to go to the Cullen's as quickly as possible so Smith could get to Volterra as fast as possible.

"I'm as ready as I'll ever be." I answered truthfully. We all stepped out of Smith's small car, and walked up to the door. We stood there several seconds until Smith finally knocked on the door. It didn't take long for someone to open, and I wasn't surprise to see Esme open the door. Her eyes lit up with joy as she saw us, unaware of the news we were going to inform her, and smiled.

"Smith, Alice, Bella! I'm so glad you're here! We've all missed you. Where's Edward? Is he not with you?" she asked, and Smith took a deep breath before he spoke.

"Mrs. Cullen, we need to have a word with you."


	31. Longing

**Chapter 31: Longing **

**BPOV**

_**7 months later**_

I stared out the window and watched as the rain hit the glass. The February snow that had been coming and going was melting away, leaving us with slush and rain.

"Has he answered yet?" I turned around to look at Esme. Her heart shaped face bore a worried expression and I shook my head. "Not yet."

She sighed, disappointed like me, and then sat down next to me, placing her hand on my knee. "It's going to be okay, Bella. I know it." She said, smiling reassuringly at me. I gave her a small smile back and nodded.

"Yeah, let's hope so."

The 7 months had passed painfully slow, and it was a miracle that I had made it this far without buying a last minute ticket to Volterra. I was missing Edward so much my heart could explode, and even though we probably sent each other emails and called every day, I stilled missed him. I missed the way he held me in his arms, the way his eyes regarded me adoringly, the way his lips kissed mine…

Memories flooded my head which made my cheek redden, and I cleansed my head and took a few deep breaths. But even though I did, one specific image stuck. The one when we went to The Cullen's house the day after Edward's departure.

_**Flashback**_

"_He…what?" Esme asked, her face turning pale. Smith, Alice and I sat in one of the sofas at the Cullen's house, our faces stern. I hated having to be the one to deliver the message to them, but on the other hand, I wanted them to know it._

"_You're kidding. This is a joke, right?" Emmet asked as he sat next to Rose, but as he stared at our very serious faces, his smile faltered and became as chocked and horrified as the others around him. _

"_It's true." Smith said, and looked down on his hands. You could see that he found this hard as well. "I'm sorry to tell you this, I know this is so sudden and hard to grasp."_

"_Mom…" Alice trailed off, staring at her mother. Jasper sat beside her, his arm around her, but his eyes were vacant._

_Carlisle looked at Smith, and frowned. "A…a vampire? He's a vampire? And you're one too?"_

_He nodded, and then began to explain everything._

_He explained the basics of a vampire, what attributes they have and their power. He explained about himself, his past and what he had done to us and to protect us. He also explained about Edward and Alice and Mia and what kind of abilities they had. He explained what the Volturi were and what they had to do with this, and then lastly explained the fight and the days after it. All of them gasped when he came to the part where Luigi had pushed his hand through my chest, killing me. They also reacted when he told them about how Edward had been bitten and then turned. When he had finished, they were speechless._

"_Unbelievable…" Carlisle muttered chocked to himself and then hundreds of questions poured out of the 5 chocked and terrified humans. _

_**End of flashback**_

I knew that telling them was the best decision, and I was really glad that Aro decided that he thought so too.

I closed the laptop in my lap with a sigh and looked out the window again. Edward still hadn't answered the email I had sent 2 days ago and I was starting to get a little worried. Had something happened?

Alice, who had been playing a relaxing yet simple melody on the piano that Edward always used to occupy so much, suddenly stopped and stood up and walked over to Jasper, who was leaning against the wall. "They're coming back now." She announced.

My eyes flashed to the road outside and yes, just as promised, the big, monstrous jeep Emmet owned drove up the house and parked. Carlisle and Emmet stepped out at first, and then opened the door for Rose. Picking Emmet's jeep to give Rose, who was heavily pregnant and had a belly big as a football, a ride in wasn't probably the best idea, but Emmet fixed it by lifting her down from the jeep himself, giving her a big kiss before he let her down on the ground. Rose, who was wearing the maternity clothes Jasper had gotten her for Christmas, placed one hand on her gigantic stomach, and then began to move towards the house.

It didn't take long for them to come inside, and when they did, Emmet did everything so Rose hardly had to lift a finger.

"Baby, you don't have to do that." She said as he bent down to untie her shoes. He looked up at her from where he sat and raised one eyebrow at her. "Can you bend down in this condition?"

"No, but-"she tried, but that was enough for him.

"But nothing. If a person can't bend down to take off their shoes, they shouldn't be doing it at all. Vera agrees with me, right girl?" he then said, and gently caressed her belly. Rose quickly forgot about her concern, and smiled.

"She really loves the sound of your voice." She sighed happily, and placed a hand on the top of her belly. Her golden engagement ring on her finger gleamed even in this bad lighting, and as Emmet were done with taking off her shoes, he rose and gave her another kiss. Their wedding was scheduled to this spring, and every second Rose wasn't busy with the baby, she and Alice planned the wedding in detail.

"So? How did it go?" Esme asked as they entered the living room. Emmet helped Rose down in a chair so she could sit, and then Rose answered.

"It went great. Nothing was wrong at all; Emmet was just worried about nothing."

"It wasn't nothing! You were in pain!"

She sighed, and gave him a small glare. "Carrying around an 8 lbs baby _will_ create back pains."

Emmet, being stubborn as he was, opened his mouth to retort her when Carlisle interrupted him. "It was nothing, but it was good to check it out anyways." He said, and it quieted both of them.

Emmet's and Rose's little quarrels had become more and more usual around the house. Rose's hormones had made her more emotional, and since Emmet was so overprotective, fights between the two of them were often occurred.

"My due date isn't until a few more days, right Alice?" Rose asked, and when Alice nodded, she sighed. Listening to doctors was one thing, but when you had a fortune teller that could tell you exactly when it was going to happen, things got more convenient.

As the others began to talk baby talk, Alice walked over to me and sat down beside me. "I need to tell you something." She said, and I turned to look at her. Her face was serious, and the stern look in her eyes made me uneasy. "What is it?"

She shook he head. "I can't tell you here. Care to take a walk with me?"

Once outside, we began to walk a trail that went around their house. The rain had changed to drizzle now, but the sky was still grey and depressing. I wonder if Edward had as crappy weather in Volterra as we did here…

"Sorry, but I had to tell you first. I didn't want to worry them now with the baby and all."

My attention came back to her, and my concern instantly returned. "What is it that you can tell me but not them?"

"It's just that…I think that you'll react better than them. But that's not the point. You know that Edward and Emmet and I are all adopted?"

Her question startled me. I hadn't expected this to be the thing she wanted to talk to me about."Yeah, what about it?"

"Well … a while back, I started to research about who my real family was. I asked mom and dad about it, but they didn't know much about it. They only knew that they had adopted me from an orphanage in Seattle when I was a newborn. So I started to investigate."

The path ahead of us looked dark an unwelcoming, so instead of continuing, we sat down on a fallen tree. "What did you find out?" I asked, curious.

"Well," she began. "I called the orphanage, and with a little persuasion, I found out who my mother was. Her name was Bianca Abate. I tried to find some information about her, but there was none to be found…until a few days ago. I was at the Lewis's house, talking to Julie when she mentioned a database of vampires she had created. I asked if I could see it, just out of curiosity, and she was kind enough to let me. It contains every vampire that the Volturi ever has met or knows exists, which was a lot. Even Edward is in there. I was just scrolling trough it when I saw her name, Bianca Abate, on top of the page."

I stared at her in chock, and frowned. "Your birth mom was a vampire? But female vampires can't have kids!" I exclaimed, and she nodded.

"Let me explain. I looked her up in their database, but there was no information about her except that she was half American and half Italian and that she had had a meeting with Aro May the 13th, 18 years ago."

"18 years…" I mumbled. "You're born on the 13th of May."

"Yes. So called Aro and asked him about it."

I was about to burst of curiosity. "And what did he say?"

She chuckled at my question, and answered. "He said it was about time I called him. He had known my mother her whole life, and when she got pregnant, he had helped her through it all. When I was born, they decided that they should send me to an orphanage in Seattle."

"But…if she's a vampire…?" I asked, but trailed off.

"Well, she was…sort of."

"Sort of?" I repeated, completely lost. She was a vampire, sort of? Is that even possible? And what did she mean by that? I stared into Alice's yellow-brown eyes, and frowned. She looked down at her hands, looking a little uncertain if she could to continue, and then took a deep breath, deciding that she should.

"My…my mom, she was a half-vampire. Her parents had been a human woman from America and a vampire male from the Volturi. When Bianca's mother became pregnant, Aro decided to let her give birth to the child, and see what it was and what powers it possessed. That child was Bianca, and she grew up in the Volturi, but she was different than normal human children and vampire children. She wasn't frozen in growth like vampires are, and she didn't grown as slowly as a normal human child. She had the physical body of an 18 year old after 4 years, and after that, she stopped to grow and became much like a normal vampire, except a few details.

"Her skin only sparkled a little in the sunlight, but it wasn't as pale as a normal vampire's skin is. She wasn't as fast or as strong as a normal vampire, but she was faster and stronger than any other human. Her eyes were brown, which surprised a lot of people. They never turned red or yellow no matter how much blood she drank. And speaking of her diet, she could eat both normal food and drink blood to stay fit. But the main difference was that her beat."

"So…your birth mom is a half-vampire?" All this information made no sense. Since when could vampires have babies?

"Yes. As I said, she grew up in the Volturi, and when she was old enough, she decided she wanted to return to the country her mom came from; America. With much protesting from Aro's side, she went in the end, and travelled to Seattle. There, she met a human man she fell in love with. They got married, and then one day, they discovered that she was pregnant with me. She instantly contacted Aro, afraid of what the result might be, and told him that she wanted him to take care of the child. After I was born, Bianca gave me up to Aro, letting him take care of me. He found out soon that I was very much like a normal human baby.

"My skin didn't sparkle in the sunlight, my appetite for human food was greater than my appetite for blood, and I wasn't the least fast or strong. I grew like a normal child but my smell was different. It was still very human and tempting, but it was also slightly vampire like, which kept most of them away from eating me up. After spending almost a week there, they also realized I had my visions. Aro was fascinated by my ability, and wanted to keep me around for it so badly, but the others in the Volturi convinced him it was for the best to give me up for adoption since it was too dangerous having a 3 quarters human, 1 quarter vampire around. So they sent me to Seattle for adoption, and that's when Esme and Carlisle found me."

I stared at he in chock and felt my head spin. My vampire boyfriend and my current best friend was a quarter of a vampire…

"Bella, are you okay? You look pale." Alice asked after a while, looking a little worried. My head was still spinning, but luckily I wasn't feeling sick.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just give me a minute to breathe." I said, and breathed deep breaths, forcing the dizziness to go away. It took a few minutes, but after a while, I felt okay, and I could continue the conversation.

"You…you're a quarter of a vampire? What…what will happen to you? Will you live forever like the rest of them?" My question made her laugh. The sound of it made me a little calmer, but I was still a little freaked out to be honest. My best friend wasn't human, that puts you off a little.

"No, I will not live forever. Aro doesn't really know _how_ long I'm going to live, but he thinks it's going to be a little bit longer than any average human. He said that if I drink small amounts of blood every day, animal or human, I will get stronger. But he really wants me to turn and become a vampire like the rest of them."

"Will you?" I asked. The idea of turning was almost appealing to me. The 7 months I'd spent here alone without him had made me think about it a lot. When I get grey and old and he still stays 18 and perfect, what will happen to us? I didn't want that to happen, I _wanted_ him to turn me...but I haven't had the courage to talk to him about it. I'm afraid he's going to be mad at me for wanting what he has.

Alice shook her head and stared out in the forest. "No, I want to stay human. I have Jasper to live for, and unless he turns too, I won't. But highly doubt he will, so I will remain human."

I sat still, fidgeting with my fingers that lay in my lap. Alice turned to me, her eyes studying me thoughtfully, and then she spoke.

"You want to become a vampire." It wasn't a question, but more of a statement. A true statement. I avoided her eyes, and looked down on my hands, staying silent.

"Bella, have you told Edward about this?"

I waited a moment before I shook my head, and she sighed. "You have to tell him. Leaving him out like this isn't fair."

Then I looked up at her. Tears had developed in my eyes, and I felt like I was about to burst into tears any second now. "But what if he doesn't want me to? What if he want me to stay human my whole life instead of being a vampire and be together for eternity?"

Alice watched me with sympathetic eyes, and then she took my hand. "Bella… I'm not going to lie to you. He _will_ tell you at first that he doesn't want you to turn. But that's only because he doesn't want you to suffer the way he did. If you discuss it long enough, he will give in eventually. Trust me, I'm a psychic." Her last statement made me giggle slightly, and she gave me a small smile.

"Come on, let's go back before the others start to get worried we got lost in the wood." Together, we walked back to the house, taking and laughing with each other. Her talk had lightened me mood a little concerning the turning thing, but I was still worried about it. I knew he wasn't going to give in easily; he was as stubborn as me. Hopefully, she was right…

**EPOV**

I took off the black cape and hung it up on the hanger. I still hadn't gotten used to the medieval accessory all Volturi members wore, but Aro had insisted I had too, even though I wasn't officially a member. Sighing, I laid back on the small cot in the room I had received. It was designed like the rest of the Volturi's rooms; antique furniture and old design.

Glumly, I looked out of the window. The full moon shone strongly outside, illuminating the streets of Volterra. Renata, Jane, Smith and Felix had taken me and Mia on a trip through some of Italy's countryside by the orders of Aro, checking on a few newborns. None of them were out of control, luckily, so none of them had to be killed, but even so, Jane didn't leave until she had tortured a few of them.

A rapid knock on my door made me turn my head to its direction. I had heard Heidi's thought's long before she came, but I had decided to ignore her, hoping she would go away.

She opened the door and stepped inside. Her clothes revealed that she had gone 'human hunting'. Heidi was one of the vampires that often took the part to lure humans into the large building the Volturi were staying in. She came to my bedside and sat down on the edge.

"We have some left for you if you want." She said with a grin. I shook my head and looked out of the window again, hoping she would go away. Both Mia and I had refused to feed on human which Aro _said_ he had accepted, but I knew he wanted us to feed on human blood instead of animal. He blamed Smith partly for that, since he didn't feed on humans either, and Aro had silently punished him for it.

"I don't want it." I said, when she still hadn't left, and she sighed, pouting.

"Ah, you're no fun. You know that human blood tastes _so_ much better than that animal crap you're been eating. Come on, give it a taste." She said almost seductively, leaning forward so she came closer to me. I could smell it on her, that strong, distinctive smell that made me feel like my throat had swallowed a hot iron. I pushed her away, using maybe a little bit too much power, which sent her flying to the wall, crashing into it. She grinned, and then shook her head, standing up straight.

"You will give in to it, sooner or later. Anyways, this wasn't the only reason I came." She said, and I knew what she was talking about. Smith had sent her.

"All right, I'll be there." I said with a sigh, and she gave me one last smile before she slipped out the door. Heidi really loved to tease me about my diet, like many others of the Volturi. But even so, I would still not change my mind. I'd rather die than taste the blood of another human.

I rose from my bed and walked out of my room. The 7 months I had spent here, alone without Bella, had been torture. I had spent 210 days and nights here in Italy and all I could think about was her. How she was, what she did, if she was thinking of me or not…

I walked through the poorly lit corridors in vampire speed. Smith had given me a few lessons how to blend in with humans; small details that I never thought about when I was human myself, but walking in a human phase was painfully slow comparing of what I was capable of. Running was probably one of the few benefits of being a vampire. You just felt so free when you ran through the darkness of a forest, feeling the wind on your face and using all of the newborn power I had in my legs.

I was with Smith in less than a minute, and judging by the look on his face, he was having a tough week. His face was twisted in a concerned an annoyed grimace. Jane was standing in front of him, and her lips were smiling slyly back at him, her red eyes watching him.

"I told you; I don't have it." Smith exclaimed, and Jane raised one eyebrow at him.

"Really? Because I swear you promised me 400 years ago that you were going to pay me back _one day_. Today is that day, Anotnio." She said, her smile radiating of amusement and evilness. Jane wasn't the only one Smith had borrowed money from that he hadn't paid back. In a short term, Smith wasn't that well liked around here.

"Smith, what did you want?" I asked, not wanting to stay here longer than necessarily. I wanted to check my computer and see if I had gotten any mail from Bella and the others.

Smith turned his head and looked at me. "Where's Mia?" he asked, and just as his words were out, Mia appeared beside me.

"I'm here." She held her cape carelessly over her shoulder, not putting it on. Mia didn't like wearing the cape either and she often protested about it to Aro and the others.

Jane looked at us with a bored expression, her smile wiped off her face, and she sighed. "I'm out of here." She disappeared into the hallway and left the two of us with Smith, who glared after her.

"Okay, were going to…" Smith began, and started to explain an exercise. He did these kinds of exercises with us once a week to train us to become civilized. Learning to live with the hunger was one thing, but acting like you were human was another.

I vaguely listened to what he wanted us to do, but the whole time, I thought about Bella. 7 months had passed, 5 months to go. I couldn't wait to see her again.


	32. The Picnic

**Chapter 32: The picnic **

**BPOV**

_**5 months later, August**_

"What is she doing?" His voice echoed behind me, but I refused to turn around. I just sat by their pool and splashed my feet in the water. My jeans were wet up to my knees, but I didn't care.

"Should we do anything?" Mick asked his twin, and then, after a few seconds of discussion, their voices faded. I hadn't listened to what they were saying, so I just assumed they had gone away. Truth to be told, I didn't care that much.

The sun was glaring down at me, but the air wasn't by far as warm as I wanted it to be. The water in the Lewis's pool was pleasantly warm against my legs and with my eyes closed I could feel the sun warming up my skin.

5 more painful months had passed, and near the end I was really growing impatient. After the graduation in June, everything had gone so slow. With no homework to drown myself in to concentrate on other things than Edward, the days seemed to pass so much slower. I was missing him every second I spent here without him but it was really hard to keep it together the latest couple of weeks when I've been knowing he would soon be back here with me. Alice refused to tell me when he was supposed to come; if it was weeks left, days or maybe a month. But all I knew was that it was soon.

On Emmet's and Rosalie's part though, these months had been the happiest time in their lives. Sure, both of them missed Edward really much, and worried about him like me, but ever since Vera was born that late February day, they had changed into completely different people. You could almost say that they had grown up, which you'd think was impossible if you knew Emmet. Their wedding took place in May, beautiful as it was, and the weather was wonderful just as Alice had predicted. Emmet was really bummed that Edward wasn't there to be his best man tough, but Jasper was good enough to be his substitute, and everything worked out fine.

"One, two…three!" two identical whispers spoke behind me, and then, before I knew what was happening, two pair of hands had pushed me into the pool. The action had startled me and I swiftly swam to the surface, gasping for air. There they were, the culprits of the crime, laughing at the edge of the pool themselves. Of course they would've thought it was hilarious to push me into the pool with my clothes on; I was already getting my jeans wet, so why not go all in and drown myself in water completely bottom and up?

I glared at them from underneath my curtain of hair, hanging slack over half of my face, but I don't even think they noticed. They were too busy laughing at me.

Quickly then, knowing I didn't have any time to waste; I climbed up the stairs out of the pool and ran towards them, my wet clothes splashing water at them as I went. Both of them were still laughing, but as they opened their eyes, it was too late. I pushed both of them hard into the pool, and to my satisfaction, they fell in with a splash. Now, I was the one standing on the edge, chuckling to myself. They swam to the surface, and together complained in a sour unison. "Hey!"

I shrugged and gave them an evil grin. "Suit yourselves. What comes around goes around."

They raised their eyebrows at me, and then looked at each other.

"Shall we?" Rick asked, a sly grin entering his lips. His brother mimicked his expression and then turned back to me. "I think we shall."

Together, they then began to splash me with water, making me even wetter if that as even possible. I screamed as the large amount of water hit me, and then threw myself into the pool, hoping to make some splashing to myself. To my disappointment, I completely failed at my task and they laughed as I reentered the surface.

"Is that all you've got?" Rick asked.

"Pathetic, really." Mick agreed and I raised his hand to splash me again, but just as he did, two loud voices stopped him.

"What are you doing?" Alice and Julie screamed at us together, their faces outrageous.

"Hey, don't make them stop. It was quite entertaining, really." A familiar voice said, and I turned my head around to stare into Jacob's deep brown eyes. Jake and the rest of the wolves had tried to help us through our little "situation" as much as they could, but I knew that none of them were really comfortable co-operating with the Volturi. They had patrolled around town as thoroughly as they could and whenever there was a vampire near, friendly or not, they made a clear warning. Jake was really not happy with me still contacting Edward, he had made that clear, but he said that if that made me happy, he would support me in it.

"Jake, what are you doing here?" I asked suddenly feeling a little awkward that he had watched us goof around like that. He grinned, and made a gesture behind himself towards the forest.

"I was just running a patrol when I heard those two discuss why you were sitting by the edge of the pool, making your jeans wet."

"Well, now they're not the only wet thing here." Alice said, sighing and then, in a split of a second, she flashed she twins a glare. "And don't you _dare_ make a dirty joke about what I just said. I knew you were planning it."

Mick and Rick grinned at her, but kept quiet. Julie and Alice rushed over to the pool and both gave us troubled faces.

"Bella, now you need to _change_! I _told _you we had to leave in 30 minutes!" Alice moaned, and I guiltily looked away. That's right, she did…

Julie looked at her boys and began to speak angrily.

"_Votre idiots! Attends que ton père entend cette... !_ "

They grinned at her, and swam around in the pool, laughing to each other.

"_Nous ne pouvons pas vous entendre! "_ They said, their accents turning completely French. Julie glared at them, and kicked her foot into the water, splashing the two boys with water. She, unlike me, wore shorts and flip-flops, and didn't get affected by the water the way I did. The boys stared at her with surprised faces, like they couldn't believe what she had done, and looked like they were just going to splash her back when Alice stopped them.

"No! No more splashing!" She grabbed me by the arm, and sighed heavily. "Come on Bella, we need to go."

I frowned at her. We just came, why leave now. "Already?" I asked. Jacob and Julie followed us inside, and Alice continued to pull me until we came to the entrance.

"Yes, already. I told you this would be quickly. I just had to have a word with Julie, but since you decided to have a little _swim_, we need to hurry back and get you changed." She said irritated as she took our belongings from the wardrobe. Julie shook her head and placed a hand on my shoulder.

"I am _so _sorry about this, Bella. I will make sure those two suffer for what they've done." Julie promised, and I was just about to tell her that it was okay, but Alice took my hand again and dragged me to the door. Jake followed, and watched the scene with amusement showing in his eyes

"Thank you for having us here Julie." Alice said as she opened the door. Julie nodded, and then turned her head towards the stairs. Leo, her hardworking husband, smiled at us as he walked down the stairs, and you could see that he was relaxed and content, which was highly unusual for him. It seemed like he always was busy every time I saw him.

"Leaving so soon?" he asked after giving his wife a kiss, and Alice nodded.

"Yeah. We'll see you later today tough." She said, and I turned my head towards her. Alice wore a confident smile upon her lips, like she was excited about it. I raised my eyebrows, not realizing we were visiting them again so soon.

"Well alright then, goodbye for now." Julie said, waving us goodbye, and then closed the door as Alice, Jake I hurried to her Porsche.

"You're coming with us?" I asked him as he jumped into the car as well, taking the passenger seat. Alice stayed silent, and started the car with a loud roar. He grinned at me, and then answered.

"Of course Bells. In what other am I going to annoy Alice than this?" he chuckled, but stopped instantly as Alice hit him hard on his leg.

"Be quiet or you'll be limping your way to our house." Her threat made him quiet, and she sighed deeply. "God, you smell bad." She muttered, and then sped away down the road.

***Later at the Cullen's house***

"A dress? I never wear dresses, you know that!" I exclaimed as Alice zipped me up. She had gotten me a white summer dress to wear instead of my wet t-shirt and jeans. It almost seemed like she had planned all this so she could dress me up like this with a good excuse.

As soon as we had arrived at the house, Alice had kidnapped me up to her room, and left Jake to hang out with Jasper. All of the Cullen's knew about Jake being a werewolf, but Jasper was the one who was the most wary around them.

Jasper didn't have a superpower like Edward or Alice did, but he was really good at knowing others emotions, like if they were sad or happy. Every time he was around any werewolf, in human form or in wolf, he always said that they seemed to be emotionally instable, which was quite true. But since he was the only one who really _felt it_, he was the only one who treated them with caution.

After what felt like hours of applying makeup and fixing my hair, Alice had finally finished.

"Wow…I couldn't have done it better myself." Rose exclaimed, studying me top to toe from the threshold. She was leaning against the wall, smiling smugly to herself, and when I met her eyes, her smile grew.

"I know, right? I'm pretty pleased myself." Alice said with a grin, and looked at me proudly like I was her artwork.

"Well come on downstairs; we're preparing the picnic in the backyard for Vera." Without further words, the three of us walked downstairs. We often had these small things like tea parties and dress-ups for Vera on our spare time and honestly, I think her parents and aunt enjoyed seeing her in ridiculous, girly outfits more than she did.

Jake wolf whistled as he saw me coming down the stairs, but quieted when he saw the look on Alice's face. Alice didn't like that Jake hung out with us, especially me. If he as much as glanced at me the wrong way, she growled at him and they got themselves hurled into a hectic argument. Jake only claimed he was around for protective reasons, but I think that the truth is that he actually enjoyed spending time with us.

"Finally." Emmet said, rising from his seat whilst holding his 5 month old child. Vera had inherited Rosalie's blonde hair and beautiful looks, but her eyes were the same brown shade as Emmet's eyes. Vera smiled as soon as she saw her mom, and Rosalie did the same. She walked over to her husband in a few, long strides and took Vera from him, talking to her as she did.

"There you are, baby! Oh, mommy's missed you while she was gone. Oh yes she did!" she said, talking in a silly voice, and rubbed her nose against the small child's, causing her to smile.

"Rose, you were gone like 5 minutes." Jake commented, but she ignored him. Rosalie rocked Vera back and forth in her arms, and began to sing a small lullaby. Vera giggled, which only made Rose's smile to grow.

"Aw, they're so cute together." Emmet said, watching his two most important girls in the world with a smile and chuckled.

Some ruffling was heard from the kitchen, and then a second later, Esme appeared in the kitchen threshold, dressed in one of her handmade aprons she always used to wear when I was younger and still lived in Alaska.

"It's ready now."

***Outside***

This 'picnic' of theirs was really planned out. Tables were set out in the garden, decorated with tablecloths and flowers. There was also a blanked placed on the lawn and on it there was laying all different kinds toys. Food was placed on top of the tables, and there was enough to feed a whole army and still have some to spare. The garden was really beautiful with all its flowers and trees and with the small stream. Even though it wasn't that close, you could still hear the way the water rippled…

"Wow…" I gasped, watching the scene in front of me.

Alice grinned, and took my hand, skipping ahead of me. "I told you this was going to be wonderful, but you didn't believe me."

I rolled my eyes at her, and sat down in a seat. "Well, you told me I didn't have to wear a dress today and yet, you managed to get me into one anyways. I don't trust you." I said, and the rest of the ensemble laughed.

Alice, who didn't seem to be uncomfortable at all, smiled and raised one of her eyebrows at me. "_Well_, you _were_ going to be excused today for wear jeans until you decided to have a little swim in the Lewis's pool with them _still on_." All of them were now sitting, and the small silence of shock was soon interrupted by laughs.

"You _what_?" Emmet asked, chuckling. Alice then proceeded to explain the little accident that had happened earlier today. By the end of it, all of them were laughing (except Vera of course, who had no idea what we were talking about). Esme had done a great job with the cooking, and soon all of us were laughing, talking, eating and drinking together in the wonderful sunlight that were casted upon us. When we had eaten ourselves full, Vera clearly decided it was playtime, and began to fuss in her seat. Emmet and Rosalie lifted her down to the little play area they had arranged for her while the rest of us cleared the table, still discussing small topic of our own.

Being so many made the, what it seemed at first, tough job quite easy. The most surprising thing was probably that there were no leftovers. With Jake, who had a very large appetite, being a shape shifter and all and Emmet, who's _always_ been the big gourmand he is, the food had quickly disappeared from the table. Sometimes I wondered if there was something else inside of those two instead of stomachs, like a black hole that sucked all the food they ate to another dimension, leaving them hungry for more.

We all then returned outside, and the atmosphere around us was very relaxed. Jasper brought out his guitar on the way out and sat down on the grass, playing beautifully. Alice sat down next to him, leaning against him with closed eyes, and when you saw the two of them together you knew they really were in love. Esme sat down on the blanked placed on the lawn with her son, granddaughter and daughter-in-law and began to play with Vera.

Jake chose to just lie down on the grass and close his eyes, letting the rays of the sun warm up his bronze skin. He almost looked asleep as he lay there, unmoving with his eyelids shut.

I had brought a book with me, and decided to sit down by the large oak and read a little. In the shadow of the bark, when she sun didn't reach my ivory skin, the air felt slightly colder, but it hardly bothered me. The only thing that bothered me was _him_. This moment that just had passed in pure happiness between my friends and me, it was perfect except one detail; he wasn't there with us. I hadn't been able to push him out of my mind all day, not a second. All this time, with all the talking and laughing, all I thought about was him, what he would say, how he would laugh at the silly thing Emmet had to say…

I shook my head to myself and leaned back against the trunk and looked up, not wanting to think about that which only would make me sad. The light-green leaves almost shone as the sun smiled down at them. They moved almost harmoniously together as the wind caught them. I stared at them for a long time, trying to keep my mind as clear as possible, but I couldn't help but to dream away just a little…

"Bella, looks like you have some visit." Emmet called, making my attention snap back to reality. I looked down the sky and looked around to see who Emmet meant. I didn't have to look long though. Crawling on all four, steady yet slow, Vera made her way towards me. Her eyes were partly focused on me and partly focused on the way in front of her, like she wanted to make sure she was going in the right direction. She had just learned to crawl, and did it every free second she got, wanting to explore the world around her, and apparently today, I was the next subject to explore.

Rose and Emmet watched together as their daughter made her way to me, and when she reached me, Alice, Esme and Rose 'Aw'd all together in unison. Vera grabbed my knee with her small little hands and looked up at me with a toothless grin. Her blond mane on top or hair looked incredibly out of control, and I giggled as I ruffled out of place even further, making Vera smile as well and chuckle in protest.

"Hey there girl." I greeted her, smiling gently. I lifted her up in my lap and held her steady as I spoke in a gentle tone. All of the others watched us with adoration as I opened my book that I had brought with me and read it to her slowly. To my luck, it was a storybook with a few tales that I actually must have grabbed by mistake, but now it didn't matter. Jasper was still playing his guitar as I read, but it sort of seemed like the other listened more to me than to him. I read it to Vera until she fell asleep, and then held her in my arms until Rose came and took her inside.

Deciding I could take a little rest as well, I leaned back at the trunk in a comfortable position, and closed my eyes. Even though I didn't lie in the sun, my skin felt warm and pleasant. I listened to the area around me as I had my eyes closed. I listened to the wind and how it ruffled the trees and its leaves around us. I listened to the birds that chirped around us and how the stream rippled near us. I also listened to Jasper's guitar playing and how Alice hummed along in her soprano voice. That's how I heard how she abruptly stopped.

"Alice?" Jasper asked, and he immediately stopped playing. I opened my eyes and looked over at her, wondering what was happening. Her eyes were vacant, like she was far away. We all knew she was having one of her visions, and patiently yet curiously waited for her to come back to the present and tell us about it.

Then, what felt like minutes later, she finally blinked looked around, disoriented.

"Alice, what did you see?" Jasper asked, stroking her cheek gently. Alice looked around for a few seconds, he face still unreadable, and then a smile broke out on her lips. That only fired the curiosity even more, and I stared at her now impatiently. What was the good news?

She looked at me with a glorious smile, like we all just had won the lottery, and then looked passed me, like she was looking as something behind me.

"Bella, looks like you have some visit." She said, and I frowned. I then turned around and could almost not believe my eyes. My memory of him hadn't done him any justice, I now noticed as I stared at him with wide, shocked eyes. There, in the shadows of the forest, _he was_. It was really him, no illusions or mind tricks. It was really Edward. Edward, with his reddish-brown hair and golden eyes that stared back at me. He was back.

**Playlist: Stay the night – James Blunt**


	33. A reunion with a bad ending

**Chapter 33: A reunion with a bad ending**

**BPOV**

I couldn't believe my eyes. I wanted to ask someone to pinch me in my arm so I would be certain I hadn't fallen asleep at the tree and dreamt it all.

"Oh dear god." Esme gasped behind me, and her voice sounded almost as shocked as I felt. Edward watched me as well, his golden eyes analyzing my every move. Beside him, Smith and Mia were standing, smiling slightly as they watched us from the shadows, but my attention was on Edward. I concentrated on his features, every detail of them, drinking them in.

"I can't believe it." I whispered, my voice weak and low, but I was sure he heard it. "I must be dreaming." He stared at me like he thought it was a dream as well, and then, in a spilt of a second, his expression turned into a glorious smile.

Without hesitating, I rose from my seat and proceeded to run towards him, praying to god I would trip and fall before I got to him. He almost looked surprised by my sudden act as I reached him, bumping into him before I could stop. I had forgotten how _hard_ he was now… It was like running into a cold, cement wall.

Edward, whose reactions were a lot faster than mine, caught me before I could fall, and enfolded me into a gentle yet firm hug. I knew right then that I he had been missing me as much as I had been missing him. We were holding each other almost franticly, like we were thinking the other one might disappear into thin air if we let go of each other just a bit. I buried my face into his chest, and felt how my before empty heart finally beat with purpose and felt how he leaned his head into my hair, and breathed deeply. We stood like this for a while, not speaking, not moving; just holding each other.

I heard how the others talked behind us, but I couldn't hear what they said. They were like murmurs in the distant; inaudible but still there. But all my senses were on Edward. I took everything in; his sweet scent, the sound of his deep and even breaths and the way he touched my bare skin with his cold yet soft hands.

After a while he spoke quietly, but I heard him absolutely perfectly. "I missed you _so _much." He murmured, and breathed again into my hair. Oh god, how I had missed that velvet voice…

"I missed you too." I said then, finally finding my voice, and I noticed it was shaky. Edward drew my face back, his hands on both sides of my face, and as he looked at me I noticed how a flash of worry appeared in his golden eyes.

_So different…_ I thought for myself, studying the color of his eyes with small sorrow. I still missed his emerald green eyes that I was so familiar with. _At least they're better than red_… I reminded myself quietly.

"Why are you crying?" he asked, and removed a single tear from my cheek with his hand. Surprised, I touched my face as well, and noticed they were wet. I dried them as carefully as I could, remembering all the makeup Alice had put on me, and gave him a small smile.

"I'm just _really _happy to see you." He gave me a glorious smile back, and I felt how my heart jolted in my chest by his alien beauty. I had always found him pretty, beautiful even, but the transformation of a vampire really perfected a person's features.

"It was a long year." He agreed, and stroked my cheek gently with his finger.

"Edward!" Alice suddenly yelled behind us (well, it was suddenly to me, since I had been too busy studying his face), and both of our attention escaped each other just a bit, and we looked back at Alice. She was standing now in the exact spot I had been sitting on a few minutes ago with one hand against the sturdy trunk, like she was afraid she might fall. She gave us an exhilarated grin, and I immediately understood why she had been so happy these last few days. She knew he was going to come today. She had known for a long time.

"Alice, it's so good to see you." Edward responded, and Alice grinned at her brother. She walked over to us in dancing steps, and as she reached us, she joined us in our hug. After a few seconds, we all let go, but Edward immediately grabbed my hand, not releasing me completely.

The next half hour or so continued in this matter. Edward and Mia greeted everyone with hugs and kind words, still remaining in the shadows though, and I never thought none of us had felt happier.

Esme was crying a river as he came to her after Alice, and I had never seen her so relieved before. Rose did hardly looked ready to cry, but she was a little emotional as Edward came to hug her as well. Emmet and Jasper rejoined with him with grins, and it almost looked like they never had missed him, but I knew that they both were glad and relieved he was here again. The only one though that didn't receive a hug was Jake. He was standing in his place, stiff and hard with a stern frown on his face. I didn't know if he was unhappy that he was back or that he was worried that there were so many vampires in the same place with so many humans. All I knew was that he was not glad.

We all stepped inside as the sun disappeared behind large, grey clouds that came from the west, and as we sat down in the sofa, the silence lasted very shortly. We threw ourselves into a vivid discussion and listened to each other as we explained to one another how our lives had been the past year.

Everyone in Forks except the Cullen's and the Lewis's thought Edward was studying abroad, including my dad, and for Mia…well, she wanted them to know that she was dead. I became very surprised the first time I heard it, but as the time went, I sort of understood why she wanted it. She was going to outlive her family and friends no matter how you saw it, and in one way or another, she was going to have to leave them. So she decided to do it now instead of waiting. She didn't want to stay in Forks, but instead go and live with the Denali clan up in Alaska, surprisingly near where Edward and I had lived a few years ago. Tanya, the leader of the clan, already knew about Mia's wish, and welcomed her with open arms. The Denali had a 'vegetarian diet', like Smith had, and since Mia didn't want to feed on humans like Edward, she decided to join them.

We talked for so long, all of us glad that they were back, but when Smith suddenly announced that they were leaving, it felt like a punch to my stomach. I felt how all blood disappeared from my face, and before I knew it, I had collapsed on the floor.

"Bella?" Edward exclaimed with worry, but I couldn't figure out where his voice came from; the world spun in a violent phase, and black spots clouded my vision.

"Don't go…" I tried to say, but it all came out like mush. I wanted to beg him, to scream that I wanted him to stay with me, to not leave me, but I couldn't find my voice to say it. All my attempts became weak groans. I heard the others voices rise around me, and then, suddenly, it all disappeared. Everything went black, and the voices around me faded to nothing. I passed out.

***Later***

After an unknown length of time, I opened my eyes. Confusion lingered in my system as I gazed around in the familiar room. It was looking exactly alike with its white walls and little furniture. It was the same guestroom I had woken up in one year ago in the Lewis's house.

I frowned as I looked around in the empty room, not understanding what I did there, when I suddenly remembered what had happened earlier. Images of how I passed out on the floor entered my mind, and I my limbs froze to ice. My breaths came faster, and my heart beat anxiously in my chest. Where was Edward? Did he leave? What happened after I passed out? And why am I in the Lewis's house?

Questions flooded through my mind, leaving me confused and scared, and I was just about to get out of the soft bed and find someone who could tell me what was going on when the door opened. Smith's worried and pitch black eyes found mine, and he gave me a small smile.

"Finally, you're up." He said, and walked over to me. Some worry disappeared, knowing that Smith was here which mean that maybe Edward was here too, but I was still anxious.

"What happened? Where's Edward? He didn't leave, did he?" I asked him, my questions rushing out of my mouth. He chuckled slightly at my fussed appearance, and sat down by my bedside, shaking his head slightly.

"No, he is still here in Forks. When I told you before that we needed to leave, I meant to hunt. The two of them are still very young vampires, and need to hunt more frequently than I. And especially since you're his _La tua cantante_, he needs to hunt more than usual."

His explanation made me frown even more. "I…I'm what?"

He gave me a calming look, like he was worried I was going to freak out, and then slowly explained. "It means….Your blood, it sings to him. In Italian, we call it _La tua cantante,_ which means you're his singer_. _Your blood smells especially appetizing to him, so he needs to fee more often so he won't get hungry." I stared at him with wide eyes. My blood….sang to him? I smelt especially good to him, and only me?

"So you're saying…that I smell especially good to him and him only?"

He patted my knee calmingly and nodded. "Yes, that's true. Anyways, when you passed out, we decided to bring you to the Lewis's since we were planning to bring you and Alice here sooner than later anyways. I decided to stay behind with the mutt and Alice while Mia and Edward went hunting in the area. But they came back an hour ago."

My worry and anxiety disappeared, and I could finally breathe. He was here. Edward was still here, and he wasn't leaving.

"Can…can I see him?" I asked, and he nodded.

"He's been waiting to see you, but the mutt doesn't want him near you, so he's been waiting downstairs. Jacob is afraid that we didn't wait long enough before we came back."

I sighed, and flung my legs around the edge. Jake was not happy that they were back at _all_. Hopefully, he wouldn't do anything stupid…

Together with Smith, I walked down the stairs to the living room where Jake, Alice, Edward and Mia were together with the Lewis's. Leo was for once joined with his family, and all of them smiled as they saw us entering.

"Hey Bella!" Rick smiled at me. "You feel any better now? You're the master at passing out I hear." He chuckled, and I blushed.

"Remember to breathe next time." Mick snickered, and he was just about to say something else when Julie slapped them in the back of their heads for their rudeness.

"Don't be impolite." She scolded them with an angry glare, and the two of them shut up, but you could see in their eyes that they had at least a thousand jokes more to tell.

"Bella!" Alice called, and rose gracefully from her seat and made her way over to me. "We've all been waiting for you." She grabbed my hand, and then made me sit down next to her and Jake. Jake gave me a relieved look, and then wrinkled his nose.

"Bells, don't leave me with all these bloodsucker; they stink."

Mia, who was sitting next to Edward in another sofa, gave him an annoyed look. "No one is making you stay, mutt. And besides; you stink even _more_." She said, and wrinkled her nose as well. Vampires and werewolves didn't like the smell of each other, and the likes to remark that every moment they could.

I looked at Edward with longing eyes, and he gave me a reassuring smile. We would get time for each other, I was sure of it, but I had missed him so much when he was gone that now when he actually was here, I didn't know what t do.

"Alright, let's begin now when we're all here. We need to talk about what you want to do now." She said, talking to Edward and Mia.

"I already know what I'm going to do; I'm going to the Denali coven in Alaska. "Mia announced, and Julie nodded in comprehension.

"I see… and what about you Edward; what will you do? Will you follow Mia to Alaska?"

I looked at Edward expectantly, wanting to know what he wanted to say. I knew what _I _wanted, but would he think the same…?

Edward turned his eyes towards me and Alice, and then looked back at Julie. "I want to remain here in Forks."

Julie watched him, and then raised one eyebrow. "Really? For how long?"

"As long as I can. As long as there's people here I care about, I want to stay here with them."

Julie's expression turned stern, and she gave me a quick glance before she looked back at him."So, you want to stay here in Forks with your family and with Bella? They will age; you won't." a stab of pain ached in my heart, and I knew she spoke the truth. Even though Edward was going to stay here with me, I would eventually age and die, but he would stay forever 18 and perfect.

His eyes hardened, but I saw that he tried to remain his calm. "Yes, I am aware of that."

Julie looked at him with serious eyes, and then gestured towards me. "Don't you want to stay with Bella? You could change her you know."I felt how Jake shook beside me as Julie's words were out, and I heard how Edward growled.

"No." he said, his voice curt and cold as ice. I frowned in sorrow, and it felt like crying. He didn't want me to be with him forever.

"Absolutely not!" Jake spat out, and I felt how my sorrow began to mix with fury.

"Do I have any say in this?" I exclaimed, and Edward's angered eyes turned to me.

"Bella. I won't _let_ you turn into something like this. You're staying human." He said, and I felt how my cheeks began to blush in irritation. I didn't say anything else, but at the moment, I felt like screaming all kinds of things.

Alice stroked my hand gently, and then looked at Edward. "Edward, it's the safest way you'll be together. Your sense of smell will develop under the years, and then she'll smell even more appetizing. Are you willing to risk that?" she asked, and Edward looked at her, suddenly looking unsure. Then, his hardened and his jaw clenched.

"I won't let that happen. I swear I will never hurt her."

"But if you're going to let her stay human, she will eventually die of age. I can't heal aging. What will you do when she goes?" Mia asked, a frown planted on her face. Edward looked at her and then let his eyes fall to his hands in his lap.

"I will return to Volterra and ask for a painless death." He answered, and I gasped. He was going to kill himself when I died! That's horrible! I couldn't let him do that!

The discussion continued in this matter, but none of us found peace. Edward refused the idea of turning me into a vampire, and I refused to let him stay by my side until I got old and died so he then could go and kill himself. Julie decided to interrupt our never-ending fight, and suggested that we could continue it tomorrow, since it was late. Smith ordered Edward and Mia to go home to him, since he needed to talk to them alone, and after I had received a long hug and a small kiss on my forehead, Edward and Mia disappeared. Alice needed to stay a little longer and talk with Julie about some quarter-vampire stuff, and since Jake decided to leave in is wolf form, it left me with Smith. I wasn't that happy with it, since I wanted to be with Edward, but he convinced that I could spend as much time as I'd like tomorrow when Edward felt a little better.

Alice and I had been driven to the Lewis's house by Julie and since Smith didn't have a car, piggyback was the only way back for me. The twins of course _could_ borrow one of their cars to us, but I didn't bother asking them since I knew they would say no only for the fun of it.

Smith lifted me to his back, and then proceeded to run into the dark forest. It was twilight out, and even though the sun wasn't completely gone, I couldn't see anything as the forest rushed passed me. Suddenly, the world around me was still. I blinked a few time, wondering if I was imagining it, but sure enough, Smith wasn't moving.

"Is there anything wrong?" I asked, not understanding why we had stopped in the middle of the forest.

Smith released me, and I jumped off, back away from him. He turned around, and his eyes were filled with pain and sorrow. "Bella…please don't turn."

His sudden request surprised me, and I frowned in confusion. "What?"

He looked down at his hands, his black eyes avoiding mine. "I know you want to be with Edward forever, I understand that. But you _could_ be happy living as a human with him."

"What brought this up? I thought we were going to continue this conversation tomorrow."

He looked up at me, and I could see the sorrow in his eyes. "I know what he's going through. I turned without a chance to be with Stacy, and years after I had turned, I always wished that I could go back to her and be with her, but I never wanted her to turn. You don't understand….the pain you go through, the hunger you're forced to face everyday….that's not something you wish for someone you love. He wants you to be able to have a reasonably human life, to have the option to do things only humans can."

"But I can't just let him stay with me until I die and then let him kill himself! That's just sick!" I exclaimed, and Smith gave me a calming look, not wanting me to get all worked up.

"I know you're worried, all I'm asking is just that you'll think about it." He said, and I sighed.

"Fine, I'll think about it." I said, but I doubted I would change my opinion.

"Thank you." He said, and then closed his eyes and rubbed his temples like he was having a headache.

"What is it?" I asked, and he opened his eyes and gave me a strained smile.

"I'm weak from not hunting. I should probably get you back right away."

I nodded, eager to get home as well, and was just about to walk over to him when it happened; the fatal mistake that changed everything. Being the clumsy person I am, I tripped on the uneven ground, and fell towards the ground. I braced myself for the fall, and shot out my hands in front of me in a weak attempt to soften the impact with the ground. I hit something hard with my arm, and I groaned in pain as a stinging sensation began to spread. I sat up on the ground and examined my arm. When I saw the damage, I froze in fear. Blood trickled from the wound I had received from my fall, hitting a sharp rock, and as I looked up at Smith, my fears were answered. Smith was watching me with dark, hungry eyes, and a small growl began to rise in his throat.

_This is not good_…I thought to myself, and just as I was about to say something, he moved. In a fast motion, too fast for my human eyes to see, he jumped at me as I lied there on the ground and lowered his head towards my neck, letting his teeth sink into my skin.


	34. Turning point

**Chapter 34: Turning point**

**BPOV**

I screamed in fear and pain as his hard, sharp teeth sunk into my neck. I tried to fight back against him, but I was too weak. He easily held me down, and proceeded to drain me from my blood. I had never imagined getting bit by a vampire being this scary. Sure, I had plenty of nightmares about it, and the last year I had spent many sleepless nights wondering how it would feel if Edward would come back and change me. I figured it wasn't going to hurt so bad, that it would be over in a few seconds, maybe minutes. I was _so_ wrong.

"Stop it!" I yelled, feeling how tears ran down my cheek. It _hurt_ real badly, like something I've never felt before. But besides the deadly sharp teeth that were deep in my neck, there was something underneath it that started to bubble to the surface, a burning sensation.

My voice was almost out of strength now because of all the screaming, and as the seconds passed, I felt how my strength slowly got sucked out of me, literarily.

I was almost out of it when I heard it; that loud, menacing growl. It rang in my ears, and almost instantly, I felt how Smith was thrown off me. I was left on the cold ground alone, but I felt oddly warm; t_oo_ warm. Painfully warm. Warm, like I was burning from the inside out.

The growls and loud crashing sounds slowly faded around me and suddenly, the only thing I could hear was my own screams.

"Bella!" Someone called in the background, the voice of an angel, but I couldn't answer him. If I could've, I would've begged him to kill me; anything to make the pain stop. But I couldn't manage to stop screaming long enough to say the words, those two words I sought; _Kill me._

"She's changing!" A woman's voice yelled, her tone terrified. I recognized the voice, but I couldn't remember who it belonged to. I heard footsteps around me and then suddenly, a pair of cold hands touched my shoulders, momentarily easing the burn beneath my skin, but his touch also brought pain. Even though the touch was gentle and careful, it hurt terribly. I screamed even louder, and I heard how an anxious voice tried to sooth me, even though panic hid just beneath it.

"Bella, I'm here. Don't worry, it's going to be okay." The angel voice said again, and I realized it was Edward who spoke. I tried to call out his name, but it just came out in screams, bloodcurdling screams.

"We need to move her now." The female called again, and without a protest, I felt how the cold arms wrapped around me, and then wind blew hard in my face. My screams were muffled by the wind, but the pain still remained. It was almost indescribable how much it hurt; like my bones were burning to ashes underneath my skin.

I didn't realize that we had stopped running until Edward laid me down on something. I tried to open my eyes to see what happened around me, but they remained shut.

"She's in so much pain! Can't we do something?" Edward exclaimed, but I didn't hear if he got an answer. His voice was strained, pained. Like he suffered as much as I did.

That's when I decided to stop it all. I had to control myself and not show that I suffered, because if I didn't, Edward would suffer too.

With as much effort as I could afford, I stopped screaming. I stopped listening at the panicked voices around me, stopped to notice the touches that returned over and over again, and instead focused on remaining still and quiet. I shut my limbs down, turning them stiff and still, and shut my lips together so that there was no way any sound could travel through them. I breathed as evenly as I could through my nose, and after a while, everything around me seemed to fade away.

At that moment, it felt like it was just me there, in a black pit together with a destructive fire that shattered everything in its way. I was slowly turning to ashes, inwards and out, and there was no way to stop it, no way to ease it.

I didn't know how much time it had passed when the pain suddenly started to get _worse_. My heart, which was the only thing I focused on hearing, started to beat even faster, racing in my chest in a painful way, and the burning sensation worsened. I didn't understand how that was possible; everything in my body had surely turned to ashes now, what was possible left to burn?

The sound of my heart beat strongly in my ears, the pulse escalating more and more for each second, and my head felt like it was going to explode in any second.

_Make it stop_, I pleaded to myself. _Make the pain go away_. _Release me from the agony. Please…_

Those were my last thoughts before my mind faded into the darkness and I lost my consciousness completely.

***Later***

Everything was silent. No beating hearts, no fast breaths. Everything was still, peaceful. Time passed, and soon I became aware of my body. It felt heavy and unmovable, but there was no pain in my limbs. More seconds passed, and soon, things became more vivid, clearing before me. My environment started to slowly sound again, like tuning up a radio. Voices, breaths, heartbeats, I heard them all except my own. I did not hear my own heart beat, I did not hear my own breath sound and no sound exited my mouth. It was like I was dead, listening to my surroundings in silence.

I knew I could open my eyes if I wanted to. I knew I could move my arms and legs and see what was around me. But for some reason, I was afraid to move. Instantly, like a knee-jerk reaction to the fear, my mouth parted slightly and let in a sharp intake of air, tasting the room for potential threats. There were two smells that were different than the others scents around me. One of them was sweet smelling, and filled up the area I was in, and I immediately knew that whoever smelled like this was the same as me. It also made me very confused. I didn't know if I could trust the ones who smelled like this. Something deep within me told me I was safe, that one of them was going to hurt me but nervousness and unknowing made me fear them as well.

The other scent put me on edge. The scent made my throat dry up, the fire-like feeling returning, and suddenly, all I could think about was blood. My instinct told me that this was food, but something else in my mind told me to resist. I swallowed, the taste in my mouth feeling different, and I concentrated on the other scents, _any_ other scent than the mouthwatering one I just had encountered. I wasn't sure why, but I knew I didn't want to hurt them.

It was the sudden touch that made me open my eyes in chock. Acting on instinct only, I cringed away from the unknown person's hand that had grabbed mine, and then flipped off the bed. A strange, unfamiliar hiss exited my mouth, as a warning to stay away from me, and I entered a defensive crouch, flashing my teeth in warning. My eyes had analyzed the room in the extremely short time that had passed, and confusion filled me up, making me scared.

The room was small and white, no furniture decorating the small space except one bed, the one I had been lying in. 4 people were standing before me, 3 of them pale and I instantly recognized them as the sweet smelling ones. The other one was short, female and rather pale as well, but her scent smelled more like a mixture between the first and the second one. All of them stared at me as I hissed at them angrily, and I noticed that all of them had yellow eyes that studied me carefully.

But it was the man that had touched my hand that caught my attention. He was beautiful no matter how you looked at him and he had reddish-brown hair and pale skin just as the others. Even though I didn't recognize him at all, there was something about him that was familiar. All of them were familiar actually, when I thought about it. The reddish-brown haired man stared at me, his eyes worried, scared and …sad. Yes, they were sad.

"Bella, calm down. It's safe, everything's fine." he spoke, his voice velvet smooth even though it was clouded with his emotions. Confusion filled me for a brief second, not understanding why he called me _Bella_, but then I suddenly realized why; that was my name.

"She is confused. It happens sometimes with some transformations." The other pale male explained, and my eyes flickered to him. He looked older than the others, and he had dark, curly, short hair and an almost…fish-like face. It was hard to explain, really.

The other male growled quietly at the fish-like one, and guilt and shame entered his face. The pale girl that stood beside him looked rather mad as well, but remained quiet.

"Don't speak or I'll rip your throat out! This is all fault Smith, always remember that." The name he said made me freeze in my movement. Smith… why did I recognize that as well?

"Smith…" I murmured quietly, watching him with curiosity, and dug through my head after the resemblance I felt to the name he spoke. All of them looked back at me, and some hope flickered in the eyes of the boy with reddish-brown hair.

I looked back at him, wonder filling my mind. Why did I recognize him so much? When I looked at him, I felt…I felt good. I felt safe. If I had a heartbeat, it would be as fast as a hummingbird's wings.

"What's your name?" whispered almost gently, staring at him with fascination. Who was he? It felt like I already knew him, but I didn't know anything about him. I _wanted_ to know things about him, and it bothered me that I didn't.

His butterscotch eyes met mine, and after what felt like seconds, he finally answered. "Edward."

That one word made my mind explode. Memories, thousands of them, flooded through my head, and I gasped in surprise.

"She's remembering!" The small, pixie-like girl exclaimed, but I almost didn't hear her, I was too busy concentrating on the images that crowded my mind, overwhelming me.

I watched the 4 of them, smiling as I did, and spoke in a breathless voice. "I remember. I remember everything!"

Edward, who I now recognized and remembered everything about, smiled relieved to me, and then ran towards me in his vampire speed and grabbed me into a kiss. The kiss was sweet, but not as gentle as I thought it would be. There was a new sort of edge in it that I never had felt in my human life. I grabbed his hair and brought him closer to me, deepening the kiss further and he stroked my cheek as he brought me closer to him by holding me by my waist.

It ended too soon, and even though I didn't _need _to breathe, I was gasping for air when his lips released mine.

"I'm so glad you're okay. I was so worried." He said, hugging me to his chest.

"What happened? You…you didn't scream at all, and then you just became still and never moved until a few minutes ago."Mia spoke up, and looked up from Edward's chest to stare at her. Her yellow eyes met mine, and I frowned.

"I don't know exactly. Everything hurt, like I was on fire. I tried to concentrate on being quiet and still rather than screaming and then… it all disappeared. It was like I lost consciousness, because when I was aware again, I had already… already turned…" I trailed off, and then my eyes traveled to Smith. His face was ashamed, filled with guilt and sorrow, and even though I knew he wasn't going to hurt me, I stiffened in my place. The image of him, attacking me there in the dark forest filled my mind, and I tried to shake of the fear that slowly came creeping up my back. He had turned me. I was a …I was a vampire now, and I would never be human again. This fact excited me as much as it scared me. I _did_ want to become a vampire. I wanted to spend eternity together with Edward, never leaving his side. But the way I turned… I wish I could've done it differently. I wanted to be ready when I turned, not taken aback and forced.

"Bella…" Smith began, but his voice trailed off. He looked crushed, and I understood why. He didn't want me to turn, even if it was his fault that I did. He wanted me to stay human, and probably would've _made_ me stay human if I hadn't tripped there in the forest and cut myself on that rock. He had been battling his hunger for so long, and that night, he for once _lost_.

Edward growled at him, his anger still very clear. He was blaming him for what had happened.

But before he could say anything, Alice's clear voice spoke. "You need to leave now. I'm surprised Bella hasn't taken a bite out of me yet. She's a newborn, and she needs to feed."

Her reminder instantly brought back the sizzling feeling in my throat, and in a weak and lost attempt to make the scorching pain in my throat go away, I placed my hand against it, hoping my cool temperature would chill it down.

"Of course, how horrible of me to forget; you must be so thirsty. The Lewis's are with mom and dad, right?" he asked Alice, and I realized why I recognized the room. It was the same room I had been taken to when I passed out…how long ago was it?

Alice nodded. "They left last night so their scent wouldn't be so strong for her." Then, she turned her eyes towards me, studying me carefully. "Tough…I don't really think it was that necessary."  
All of them turned to stare at her like she was stupid, and I frowned at her in confusion. What was she talking about? What if Rick and Mick were here when I woke up? If I caught the scent of them I might've kill-

I stopped my thoughts before they could get any worse, and instead waited for Alice to answer. Her human phase was annoyingly slow now when I was a vampire. I wonder if all vampires found humans that slow…

"What I _meant _is…she's incredibly resistible to temptation of blood. I've been standing here for so long now, waiting for her to attack me, but she hasn't even thought about it. And I got this vision of you two hunting…" she trailed off, staring at Edward, whose eyes widened in surprise. I stared at him, wondering what he was seeing in her mind. Edward turned to me, and his eyes were wide with astonishment.

"Incredible…" he murmured, and smiled at me widely.

"What?" I asked, starting to get annoyed. What was it that they weren't telling me?

He gave me a small kiss on my forehead. "You have an amazing self-control. Alice saw us running passed a few humans, and you completely ignored it."

Smith looked at me, and his expression was puzzled."Can this be considered to be your gift?"

I looked at him, and for some reason, I felt a little disappointed. _This_ was my gift? Having incredibly good self-control? Not half as exciting as any of Smith's gifts… But on the other hand, this might help me better in living by the vegetarian-diet. I'm refusing to feed on humans, and my so called 'gift' will help me with that, then I'm more than happy to keep it.

Alice shrugged, a sudden sly grin entering her face. "We'll see about that, won't we?" she gave Edward a small look, and I saw he nodded so slightly, answering something in her mind.

I didn't really understand what she meant about that, but at the moment, I wasn't really in the mood to know. I was in the mood to hunt.

***Later***

Together, Edward and I ran through the dark woods, hunting some elk and deer that we could find. He taught me the things he had been absent to learn, and I was fascinated by his gracefulness to do it. My kills were messy, even dirty. In one year, Edward had mastered the ability to hunt so perfectly, not even a single stray of his hair got ruffled as he killed the deer he fed on. I tried to study him as thoroughly as I could, analyzing his every movement to see what I did wrong, but it always ended up with me, studying his marvelous looks. I had never known that hunting was so … so beautiful as it was. The way his body moved around the wet moss as he tracked his prey, the way his beautiful eyes studied its every move…it was fascinating.

Eventually though he caught me staring and if I had still been human, I would've blushed. Luckily for me, I wasn't. No blood travelled to my cheeks to reveal my actual embarrassment, and instead I just gave him a playful grin.

When I finally was full, almost feeling gluttonously so, we began to travel back. Running was also one of the vampire perks I actually enjoyed. The speed, the excitement to race each other side by side…it was really thrilling. And I wasn't at all clumsy like I used to be in my human life. I could _run_ without tripping on anything: in my case, that should be considered as a miracle. We did eventually pass the human scent as Alice had promised, and as her prophecy had said, I ignored it. It was hardly easy; I had to stop breathing and focus on anything than what I wanted, but I did it. We ran away from the scent, a little faster this time, and when we were so far away none of us could detect the it anymore, we started to slow down.

"Aren't you the least happy I'm a vampire?" I asked as we had stopped to run. He looked at me, his face first surprised. Then, it became gentle and loving, and he enfolded me into a hug.

"Bella," he murmured into my hair. "I was never unhappy with you becoming a vampire."

"Then why were you against it when we discussed it at the Lewis's house? If you don't have any problem with it, why didn't you say yes to it then?"

He sighed. "I…I didn't want you to suffer what I had to suffer. The pain of the turning, the thirst we'll have to live with the rest for eternity, every day…I didn't want that you if that meant that you were going to get hurt. Of course I wanted you to turn and be a vampire as well, making us inseparable. I can't say I haven't thought about that for the past year. But for all the things you'd have to give up for me…I could never be that selfish."

I stayed quiet for a minute. I was feeling almost relieved that he actually _did_ want me to be a vampire, but the part about him being selfish bothered me. "Edward," I finally said. "You wouldn't have been selfish if you would've been the one to turn me. All the things I actually _get_ for becoming a vampire, it outweighs the things I would lose. Sure, I will never be able to sit in a porch in twilight, surrounded by my grandchildren whilst being old and grey. But if I wasn't sitting in that porch together with an old and grey you, I don't want it at all."

Edward held me for a while, quiet in thought, and then chuckled quietly. "You are truly amazing, you know that?"

I smiled, and hugged him back tightly. I felt how he shifted uncomfortably away from me, and I looked up at him, releasing my grip from him. What did I do?

He gave me a crooked grin, and then grabbed my hand. "Ow, take it easy or you'll crush me. At the moment, you're a little stronger than me." his explanation made me grin. Stronger, you say…?

It took me half a second to wrestle him down to the ground, laughing as I did. I felt how he playfully tried to fight against me, but he was too weak. _I_ was the one in control now. Holding him down to the ground, I laughed, enjoying this maybe a little _too_ much, and then lowered my head to his level and gave him a light kiss on his mouth.

"Come on, let's get going." I then said, and was about to rise from the ground when Edward grabbed my arms and then spun us around so he was on top of me, pinning me down to the ground.

"Hey!" I complained, laughing. He grinned at me, and growled at me playfully.

"I said you were a _little_ stronger than me. I can still fight against you. And besides, before we leave I want to do something you forgot."

I raised my eyebrow. "And what is that?"

He smiled slyly, and then lowered his head until out lips met. The kiss he gave me wasn't rough, but it wasn't as gentle as his other kisses as well. It was somewhere in between. He stroked my hair as our lips moved in synchronization and when he moved away, I was gasping for air I didn't need.

"You forgot to give me a proper kiss."

I chuckled and then, with help given by Edward, got up from the slightly wet moss we had been laying on. The sun was almost about to rise in the east as the realization hit me; I remembered I didn't have to sleep. Correction: I _couldn't_ sleep. The thought was almost strange for me. I wasn't going to be able to sleep anymore, to dream anymore. In a way, it saddened me, but as I told Edward before: All the things I _get_ for becoming a vampire outweighs the things I would lose.

Edward took my hand and both of us were just about to run back to the house, following our old trail, when I suddenly detected something else in the coming wind from the west. 5…no, _6 _vampires were coming our way, and they were moving fast.

Fear filled my muscles, and in direct instinct, my body coiled into a defensive crouch.

"Relax, Bella. They won't hurt us." Edward reassured me, and patted my arm soothingly. I slowly straightened out of my position, but I was still on edge. Who were these vampires? The Volturi?

I waited nervously for the 6 vampires to appear, and when I finally saw them, I became taken aback. There were 4 females and 2 males, and to my surprise, all of them had yellow eyes. There were two dark haired vampires; one male and one female, and both of them had a slightly olive tone in their chalky skin. The male running next to them was taller than the rest of them, and he had long, sandy blond hair which he had tied back into a ponytail. The other three females were all blond. The one who ran next to the tall male had long, pale blond hair, and she was holding the tall man's hand in a firm grip that made their affection for each other rather clear. The other female next to them silvery blond hair cut in a short chin length and she looked the most unhappy by the 6 them. But it was the last woman that made my eyes go wide. She had long, curly, strawberry blonde hair, and even though she looked slightly older than the rest of them, she was still as beautiful. Her gentle, yellow eyes found mine, and her gaze turned surprised, almost chocked. As they stopped to run, her eyes remained glued to mine, and I was sure she was as surprised as me to see each other.

"Unbelievable…" She murmured, her voice exactly as I remember it from 6 years ago.

"It's you." I said, my voice filled with the shock I felt. The beautiful vampire with strawberry blonde hair smiled gently, and chuckled.

"I never thought I would see you again, let along in a place like this." She said, and then shook her head, still smiling. "How rude of me, you don't even know my name. I am Tanya, and these are my sisters and brothers in the Denali clan."

**Playlist: Criminal Love – Memphis High **


	35. The last puzzle piece

**Chapter 35: The last puzzle piece**

**Playlist: Christmas Lights –Coldplay**

**BPOV**

I stared at Tanya. Her features were just the same as the last time I saw them up in Alaska, so many years ago. I had never told anyone about our encounter, but I had always remembered it, and treasured it to myself. Edward stared at me bewildered. His golden eyes were wide with surprise, and I could see that he had read her mind already, and knew what had happened such a long time ago.

"It was you who…" he murmured, staring at Tanya as well.

Tanya's eyes flashed to him as soon as he had spoke, and her smile grew; it looked almost flirtatious, but I decided I was imagining it. Tanya looked back and forth between us, and then took a small step forward. The one with short, blonde hair hissed at her in warning, like she thought it was a bad idea, and spoke in an irritated voice.

"Tanya! It's not safe! She may be the same child you saved a few years back, but she has changed! Look at her _eyes_!" I knew what the angry one meant about that. Even though I had hunted animals, my eyes were still red. Julie had told me about that in the time that Edward had been gone. Newborns eye color changes slowly. Since I still had my own human blood lingering in my system, my eyes were still piercing red as Edward's had been a year back. Slowly, but surely (if I stuck to my animal diet) my eyes would change to a golden orange tone, and then butterscotch.

Tanya looked back at the female who had spoken, and gave her a reassuring look. "Calm down, Irina, the child won't hurt us." She looked back at me, and gave me a small smile.

"What's your name?."

Almost enchanted, I had to get closer to this strange woman I had seen and met before, and took a few steps closer. But as soon as I had, Edward suddenly placed himself in front of me, shielding them from my view. Since he could read their thoughts, he knew their every idea that came to their mind, and judging by his face, he didn't like all of them.

"Edward, it's okay." I told him, placing my hand against his shoulder softly. I knew I had no idea how to fight, but I also knew my strength was much greater than any of theirs. If they decided to fight me, I could defend myself…I think.

Edward looked back at me, and his face wore a concerned look, like he knew I was right in a way, but was still hesitant to move, not ready to let me get close to them yet.

"So _that's_ Edward…" the woman next to the tall man said, and smiled with her eyebrows raised. "Mia wasn't telling us everything."

I frowned to myself in confusion. How did _they _know Edward and Mia's names? But the answer came to me a second later; they were the _Denali_, the vampire clan that was like Smith, 'vegetarians'. Mia had decided to join them, and I guess they had come to meet her. They had probably not expected _me_ to be here. They probably just knew that Edward and Mia were vampires.

I slowly stepped passed Edward, who surprisingly let me, and then walked until I was a few meters away from her. I knew I could hear and see her perfectly clear from where I stood, but I wanted to study her from a closer distance.

"I am Bella, and this is Edward." I told her, pointing at Edward, who was standing right next to me.

Tanya's smile grew, and she laughed slightly. "It's really great to see you again Bella. I was surprised to see you like this though…"

The tall man that stood beside the blonde one then spoke. "Tanya, who is she? There were only supposed to be two young vampires here with Smith, but no newborn." Edward growled slightly as Smith's name was mentioned, but the tall man ignored it. He stared at her sourly, waiting for her answer, and Tanya turned around to meet the eyes of 5 curious vampires.

"I met Bella the first time, a few years back when I was returning from a hunting trip. Just out of curiosity, I decided to run passed a human neighborhood; I just wanted to see what was going on, when I caught her scent." She looked back at me, and she smiled softly, like she was caught in an old, fond memory of hers.

"It was January, and the weather was bad. Snow was causing most of the humans to stay indoors out of comfort, but for some odd reason, she wasn't. She was scared, I could tell that, but I could also tell that she was very determined to fulfill her task, whatever it was. She had walked off the trail and lingered quite some bit into the woods, and the more time passed, the more uncertain she looked. I wanted to show myself so I could calm her down and show her the way back, but seeing a strange woman in the middle of the forest, scantily clad would be too strange for her. I waited, to see if she would make it back, but she her trails had faded in the snow.

"Then, for some odd reason, she began to run. She ran, not really looking where she was going, and without thinking, a growl of impatience escaped my lips. I couldn't understand why she did what she did! Her actions confused me, and the more I had waited, the more my patience had been worn out. Of course, she had heard the animalistic sound that had echoed through the woods, and like any other human would react, she turned around to see where the sound came from, fear twisting in her face. What she unfortunately didn't do was stop running, which only resulted her, running into a tree. It was quite the impact, even though she wore a knitted had, and she fell down against the cold ground. I stood there watching her for a while and battled with myself, not knowing if I should leave her alone or help her. In the end, I decided I couldn't let her die there in the forest, and carefully carried her back to the human society where I figured she lived. I heard the humans then, how they all were looking for her, and left her in the edge of the forest, hoping they would find her." Tanya's story was rather fascinating, and I remember my point of view vaguely from my hazy human memories.

I hadn't realized she was real then; I thought she was some strange angel of death, taking me to my grave. But it wasn't until I saw her months later that I realized she was real. I kept both of our meetings to myself though.

The vampires of the Denali coven stared at me with curious eyes, and Tanya laughed.

"A met her five months later tough. Both of us were very surprised to see each other again." She said, smiling at the memory. I smiled as well, remembering how surprised I had been when I had made the connection between her and the woman I thought was a dream.

Irina, who was staring at me with uncertain, slightly annoyed eyes, scoffed and looked back at Tanya, who seemed to be their leader."We came for Mia, not for this newborn."

The olive skinned man, who had stayed silent the whole time, watched me with thoughtful eyes and spoke in a curious tone. "Mia assured us that she and Edward were the only newly created vampires around… When did you get changed? It must've not been long ago, I can smell that you're a very young newborn."

I watched him, and I was just about to answer him when Edward did it for me. "She completed the change just today."

Tanya's eyes widened in surprise and she watched me with bewilderment and astonishment. "So soon? But then she must be incredibly thirsty!" Her reminder of blood made my throat ache in a scorching kind of way, and I swallowed in a weak attempt to make it go away. I _hadn't _been thirsty, but now when she reminded me of it I became, I was. I closed my eyes, focusing on anything else except the burning feeling in my throat, and with much effort, I managed to keep the thirst to a minimum.

I opened my eyes again – only a second had passed – and I met Tanya's curious eyes. "I'm fine, we just hunted."

The olive skinned man watched me again, and he smiled slightly. I heard how Edward gasped beside me and I turned towards him, wondering what he had seen that had surprised him so much.

"You have some formidable gifts, young one." The man said, and I frowned. What was he talking about?

"Oh Eleazar, what is it? Is it- wait, did you just say _gifts_? As in plural? " The blonde woman whose name I still didn't know asked the olive skinned man, who apparently was named Eleazar.

Eleazar turned towards the blonde woman and grinned. "Calm down Kate, I will explain."

The tall man with sandy-blonde hair that held Kate's hand chuckled and looked at her with a teasing smile. "Don't worry, your powers will still be the coolest around." His teasing reminded me of Emmet somehow. Kate flashed him a glare, and in a split of a second, the tall man was on the ground, groaning in pain.

"Shut up, Garrett." Kate murmured, sounding almost embarrassed. Garrett, who apparently had recovered from… whatever just happened, grinned and rose from the ground.

"Ow, that hurt you know." Garret told Kate, but she ignored him. The olive skinned woman, who was the last one I didn't know the name of, looked at me apologetically and spoke up, her voice gentle.

"Everyone, please remember our company. Bella must be utterly confused." She got the others attention, and they swiftly quieted down.

Tanya looked at me and smiled apologetically. "Carmen is right, you must be very confused. Now when I think of it, I haven't introduced everyone. Bella this is Irina, Kate, Garrett" she said, pointing at the two blonde females and the grinning, tall male. "Carmen and Eleazar." She then said, pointing at the couple at the far end."Eleazar and Kate are the only ones in our coven that has supernatural talents, like Smith, Edward and Mia has in your … odd little group. But apparently, you have some too."

I stared at her in confusion, and she laughed at my bewildered expression. "Eleazar has the ability to see what kind of gift someone has. That's what he and Kate discussed earlier."

Kate grinned at me. "I have the ability to run an electrical current through my skin. What you saw earlier was me, shocking Garret." Her grin grew slightly more, and Garrett shook his head, smiling.

"Why I love this woman is out of my knowledge."

Kate laughed, and then shook her head. "But enough about this. What was her ability, Eleazar?"

Eleazar looked back at me, and gave me a small smile. "Well, she has incredible self control. Beside from that, she also has a mental shield." His words made my muscles freeze to ice.

"I…have what?" I asked, surprised by his sudden revelation. I had a mental shield?

Edward laughed, amused by my surprise, and grabbed my hand softly. "That's why I can't read your thoughts or Jane, Alec and Smith can't use their abilities on you." He explained, and I stared at him. I had a mental shield? Garrett _was_ right: this was hardly as cool as being able to run an electrical current through your skin but…it _was_ rather handy. No one would be able to do those kinds of mind tricks on me like Jane does. And having incredible self control... that was the best gift I could receive. I didn't have to be this crazy newborn that always thought about blood… I was going to be able to live my life and not have to worry about that for a whole year…

I felt how a smile slowly but surely began to creep on my lips, and I looked back at Eleazar. He smiled back at me, and nodded.

"He's right about that. Edward, Smith… all of those people he said all has mental abilities. I don't even think Kate's ability will work on you."

I eyed Kate nervously, and she laughed. "I won't test it on you if you don't want to; I'm not a sadist. But I am curious…" she trailed off. I looked at her, and suddenly, I felt very curious as well. Was it true?

Edward gripped my hand harder now, and I realized he was more nervous about this than I was. I looked back at him, and gave him a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, I'll be fine."

His butterscotch eyes eyed me seriously, and I could see the love and worry he held for me. "But what if it works?"

"If it works, you'll get yourself one hell of a shock." Garrett chuckled, and gave me a wink. I chuckled slightly, and then stepped forward, releasing my hand from Edward's. He let it go, but watched me with cautious eyes as I walked over to Kate, looking ready to drag me away from her if I as much as flinched in pain. She looked satisfied by my brave choice, and gave me a gentle smile.

"I promise I won't give you such a chock I gave Garrett; you won't receive such treatment unless you've asked for it." I realized her words had a double meaning as she spoke them, and I silently noted to myself never to piss Kate off in the future.

I slowly stretched my hand out to her, and she grabbed it gently. "Are you ready?" she asked. I nodded, and then braced myself for it. Waiting for the unsuspected chock that could come any second…

"Wow…" Kate murmured, and I looked at her. What was it?'

"Kate," Edward spoke in a warningly tone, and she looked at him.

"I know, I know, it was just a thought. Still, I haven't met anyone who is immune to my gift." She said, and let her eyes travel back to me.

"It didn't work?" I asked, and she laughed.

"Believe me, if it had worked, you would've noticed it by now."

Irina, who was standing next to Kate, sighed, and spoke. "Why are we still wasting time here? We were supposed to meet up this Mia kid. I want to get this over with so I can go home."

Tanya smiled teasingly at her sister; a full teeth smile that reached her eyes. "Does your new boyfriend have anything to do with your homesickness?" She teased, and Irina growled. So, she had hit a sour spot.

Garrett smiled as well, and chuckled. "I can't believe you're dating that human. What's his name? Lou? Louie?"

Irina growled angrily at him as well, looking like she was ready to attack him. "Laurent!" she corrected him in a growl, and Garrett chuckled again. "Women…"

Carmen then stepped up and looked at her sister with a concerned look. "Don't upset Irina; this it tough for her." She scolded her coven members, and Tanya smiled sheepishly.

"I guess you're right. Well," she turned to Edward and her smile turned gentle. "So, can you show us to the house?"

***later***

Mia was very pleasantly surprised to see her becoming coven members, and they all treated her like family, even Irina. Alice had of course predicted that we would meet up with them, but had decided not to tell me anything, thinking it was best if I just focused on hunting instead of the new guests. The Lewis's had still not come back, and I guess that was for the best. Having 9 vampires in a house, all at the same time was not something humans should ever witness. Alice, of course, was an exception, since she was a quarter vampire herself. I could really smell the difference between her and the mouthwatering scent we had run passed in the woods; she smelled more floral than food.

Alice and Mia briefly explained our current situation, and Tanya's eyes hardened when they found out that Smith had turned me.

When everything was explained, the awful question I had dreaded finally came.

"What are you going to do now?"

I looked at Edward with concerned eyes. What _were_ we going to do? What was I going to tell Charlie? And mom? He was hardly going to recognize me if I came knocking on my door; he _would_ notice the change, anyone would.

Edward met my gaze, and I could see he was as concerned as I was. We both knew we would have to make tough choices.

Surprisingly, Smith spoke up. "I know a way."

All of us stared at him wondering what this "way" he had thought of was.

He looked at me, guilt still lingering in his eyes every time our eyes met, and then spoke again. "I could compel Bella's parents to believe she went studying somewhere. Somewhere remote and far away, like we did with Edward. Then both of you can stay away for a year or two and train even more, where you do it doesn't matter. And then if you want to return and want your parents to recognize you without having them scream in fear, I'll compel them again into believing you've always looked like that, that you're sick or any other reason that fits." I watched him with wonder, and then stared at nothing as I thought it through. Renée and Charlie _would _miss me, I knew they would. I _wouldn't _want them to believe I was dead, but…I would outlive them. Didn't they deserve an honest goodbye?

Tanya smiled softly at me. "Of course, you're very welcome to stay with us, if you'd like."

Alice looked at me, and a small smile painted her lips. "I can see that it'll work. You'll follow the Denali coven to Alaska and stay there a year, telling your parents that you're going to the university in Alaska, and then you'll return, spending some time with us and your parents."

"Really? Is the future that clear?" I asked. Her smile grew.

"Well, nothing's set in stone, but it's remotely clear. I would say…68%? Maybe 70, I'm not sure. But it's definitely over the 50-50 line."

I looked back at Edward again, and he smiled a soft smile. "What should we do?" I asked him. He stroked my cheek, something that made my stomach flutter, and even though my mind started to drift into _completely_ different trains of thoughts, I made myself focus on the actual topic.

_Focus Bella, _I scolded myself.

"I think it sounds very well, actually. We _would _have to leave anyways, since you're a newborn, but if Smith could manage to do what he's promised…" he trailed, looking at him rather coldly.

"I can do it." he assured him.

Edward looked back at me and then smiled. "I don't see any reasons not to. It's the best shot we've got."

I smiled, and then, so fast I almost hadn't any time to think it through, I flung my hands around his neck and kissed him eagerly. He kissed me back, slightly stunned of my sudden action, and when I released him, _he_ was the one gasping for air. The small detail made me very satisfied. "I guess we have a plan then." I stated happily.

***One year later***

Edward and I ran through the forest as the sun finally began to settle in the distance. The run from Alaska to Forks had been anything but hard, and the two of us had raced eagerly through the pine-filled forest. Even thought I had been living 2000 miles away, Alice continually sent me clothes, and even though I found it really irritating at times, I actually thought it was a little sweet. The blue gown I was wearing at the moment was one of the many outfits she had sent me, and out of courtesy, I had decided to wear it.

The year that had passed had been nothing like the year I had been apart from Edward. We were together now, two pieces whole, and it made the experience much more pleasant. I had periodically sent Mom and Dad some messages, telling them I was still alive and well (which _was _true, if you skip the alive part). Telling them goodbye hadn't been easy, especially my dad. Smith had followed me to my house that day so I could meet him without him freaking out, and even though it was nice to see him again, it was heartbreaking to say goodbye, leaving him there all alone.

Jake was also hard to see after the change. I had worried about that too, those last days I spent in Forks, before I followed Tanya and the rest of them to Denali. I thought he was going to be angry, be disappointed, and most of all; sad. But my worries were quickly crushed when I met him. His first words to me were _'you stink, Bells'_, and after that, I knew it would work out. The wolves were not happy about the sudden change that Smith had caused, but with a teeny, tiny bit of compulsion (on Smith's side), they decided that they were going to keep the truce if Smith promised never to do it ever again.

"What are you thinking about?" Edward asked, noticing that I was quiet once again. I looked at him, and for a few seconds I considered to show him. The time with the Denali's had really trained my mental shield. Garrett had often helped me, and he was a surprisingly good teacher. We had discovered that I could stretch it out and shield others as well, and that I could remove it from me entirely, but both things strained me. I would get mentally exhausted if we ever trained too much, but Edward and I discovered a way that both of us could release ourselves from our stress and have a little fun at the same time…

If I would've been human, I would've blushed, and I quickly decided I wasn't going to show him my thoughts.

"I was just thinking about how fun it's going to be to meet the others again." I simply edited it, and he smiled.

"Yeah, it's going to be great. I wonder how much Vera has grown…" he mused, and then chuckled. While Alice sent me clothes, Emmet sent Edward baby pictures. It was almost comical to see how attached he had become to his sweet daughter, and I smiled every time thought about the three of them, living in the small apartment they'd bought a few months ago.

I playfully ran passed him, about to start the same race I Edward had won thousands of times (since his speed was much greater than mine), when he suddenly grabbed my hand and yanked me to him. I bumped into his chest with a little bit too much power than he had estimated, which sent us both flying to the ground, laughing. He held me in the cage of his arms, making it impossible for me to escape (if I'd ever get such a stupid idea) and then brought his lips to my ear.

"Got 'ya." Both of us chuckled and I planted a small kiss on the end of his jaw, closing my eyes. Then, with much concentration, I began to remove the shield. It was like stretching a rubber band; if you didn't do it right, it came snapping back to its place. I recognized the familiar feeling of being unshielded, and then quickly thought what I wanted before my time was out.

_I love you_, I thought to him, directing every loving memory I had of him. I suddenly felt his lips on mine, eager and passionate, and the rubber band shield instantly snapped back to its place. But I didn't care, all of my concentration were no on his soft lips on mine, moving in synchronization. After a few minutes (which felt like hours) he moved away his lips from mine and spoke in a tender and loving voice.

"I love you too."

**THE END**

**A/N: Well, that's it boys and girls! This was the final chapter! I hope you liked the story, and it would be fun if you'd review what your favorite part was. Mine would be the end. I know, cheesy, but I wanted them to get a sweet, sugar coated ending :D**

**Please review and I hope you have a happy holiday!  
(You can also check out my other stories which I'll update on more frequently)**


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